Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
june 2014
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energy
Environmental Protection Agency announces plan to cut carbon emissions
On June 2, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule, the Clean Power Plan, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. The Clean Power Plan, which would be implemented through a state-federal partnership, would achieve carbon emission reductions of 30 percent in existing power plants by 2030.
The EPA, which is required by the Clean Air Act to regulate any substance defined as a pollutant, offers numerous suggestions for cutting carbon emissions in the proposal including using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, switching from coal to natural gas, and participating in interstate emissions trading. The rule sets unique emissions reduction goals for each state that depend on current carbon usage and needs. Reduction rates for most states lie between 20 and 30 percent, but range higher for states that already demonstrate lower carbon emissions, such as Washington State.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle have started voicing their opinions on the rule. Governor Sam Brownback (R-KS) called the proposal a “war against middle America” that will increase energy costs. Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA) applauded the rule, saying it will spur development in cleaner energy technology. The EPA estimates the proposal will cost states a total of $8.8 billion per year, but will lead to climate and health-related savings of between $57 and $93 billion by 2030.
States must submit their plans for meeting the regulations to the EPA by June 2016.
Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, E&E News
Updated 7/7/14
Senate questions NRC officials over post-Fukushima safety recommendations
On June 4, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing to question Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officials on their progress implementing 12 safety recommendations put forth in 2011 by the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force. The recommendations included guidelines for improving regulation, emergency preparedness, and protection against natural disasters.
Witnesses included NRC Chair Allison Macfarlane and several NRC commissioners, who were confident in the NRC’s progress maintaining safety and enacting proactive regulations after Fukushima. Nonetheless, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chair of the committee, firmly pursued questioning implying that none of the 12 recommendations had been sufficiently implemented, and that no new safety standards had been enacted since the Fukushima incident. Sen. Boxer further questioned NRC officials concerning the decommissioned San Onofre nuclear power plant in southern California, which was threatened by a recent wildfire.
Sen. Boxer stressed the urgency of updating safety standards and called for increased transparency, faster risk assessment, and more robust NRC leadership. Despite the safety risks, both committee members and witnesses recognized the vital role that nuclear power could play in President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
Sources: The Hill, Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
House subcommittee passes Energy and Water Appropriations bill with bipartisan support
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development held a markup of their fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations bill, which allocates a total of $34 billion for the Department of Energy (DOE), the Army Corps of Engineers, and other related agencies. The bill includes $50 million less than FY 2014, but $327 million more than the President’s FY 2015 request.
Within DOE, the bill allocates $593 million for fossil fuel energy development, approximately $31 million more than FY 2014, and $1.8 billion for renewable energy, approximately $113 million less than FY 2014. The bill supports the Yucca Mountain nuclear repository, allocating $150 million for the Nuclear Waste Disposal program. The bill also provides $5.1 billion for basic science research, the same as last year.
Subcommittee leadership applauded the bipartisan approach in crafting the bill, though party disagreements were still apparent. Full Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) argued that the Obama administration’s energy and environmental regulations are overreaching and hurt American jobs, while Subcommittee Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) was disappointed with the Clean Water Act riders in the bill.
The bill has since passed the House Appropriations Committee and the House Rules Committee with a modified open rule.
Sources: E&E News, House Committee on Appropriations