Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
april 2014
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congress
House passes bill to improve weather forecasting at NOAA
On April 1, the House passed legislation authorizing increased funding for weather research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2014 (H.R. 2413) would allocate $360 million to NOAA over a two year period for “ investment [in] near-term, affordable, and attainable advances in observational, computing, and modeling capabilities.” Improved modeling systems should improve NOAA and the National Weather Service’s ability to predict and track severe storms such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
American forecast modeling has fallen behind European capabilities in recent years. For example, the European model was able to provide more lead time for Superstorm Sandy than the U.S. counterpart, the Global Forecast System. Advanced weather forecasting capabilities are crucial for saving lives in severe weather events. Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), the bill’s sponsor, suggested that investments in improving NOAA’s forecasting capabilities could increase lead time for tornadoes from 15 minutes to an hour, providing critical time for the public to seek shelter.
The bill gained bipartisan support after changing language that reallocated funds from climate change research to fund weather research, a move that Democrats strongly opposed. The revised language supplies funding for weather research without altering current climate funding.
Sources: Capital Weather Gang, E&E News
Updated 5/5/14
House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee pass LNG export bill
The House Energy and Commerce Energy and Power Subcommittee passed The Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act (H.R. 6) on April 9, and the full Energy and Commerce Committee marked up the bill on April 29 and 30. The bill would expedite approval for U.S. companies to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to World Trade Organization countries.
Companies currently can only legally export LNG to countries that share a free trade agreement with the U.S. There are no operational LNG export facilities in the U.S. at present, but this bill aims to expand the export market in anticipation of several facilities coming online within the next few years. The subcommittee approved H.R. 6 by a vote of 15-11, with an amendment requiring exporters to publicly disclose the location of LNG destinations. The full committee marked up the bill to include requirements for quicker federal decisions on export applications.
The legislation will move on to the House as a whole for consideration.
Sources: E&E News, House Energy and Commerce Committee
Senator Bennet named Chair of Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
On April 3, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) was named Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure. Bennet, a second term senator from Colorado, favors an “all of the above” approach to energy and has a history of working across the aisle on legislation. The senator’s legislative priorities include renewable energy, efficiency, and energy tax policy. The subcommittee examines issues of taxation and other revenue measures relating to energy, natural resources, and infrastructure.
Senator Bennet will work to advance these priorities in his new role as subcommittee chairman.
Sources: E&E News, Senator Michael Bennet
Kornze confirmed as Director of BLM
The Senate confirmed Neil Kornze as the 18th Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on April 8 by a vote of 71-28. Kornze, a native Nevadan and experienced public lands staffer, joined BLM in 2011 where he served as principal deputy director. He has led BLM in an acting capacity for over a year. As director, he will oversee oil and gas drilling, mining, renewable energy development, grazing, wildlife and recreation on 250 million acres of land. Kornze faces difficult decisions on issues including hydraulic fracturing regulations, methane emissions reductions, sage grouse protection, and solvency for wild horse and burro programs.
Since joining BLM, Kornze has worked closely on crafting guidelines for fracking on public lands, promoting initiatives to develop solar power in the Southwest, and leading reforms of BLM’s oil and gas program to decrease industry wait time for permits.
Sources: Department of the Interior, E&E News