Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
october 2014
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natural resources
House passes bills to approve KXL and increase domestic energy production
September 18, 2014
On September 18, the House passed two legislative packages that would approve the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline and increase domestic energy production. Each omnibus package of bills includes legislation on small business and medical device taxes, as well as energy and environment bills. Both packages passed on a near-party line vote with limited support from Democrats.
The first package, the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act (H.R. 2), includes the bill approving a cross-border portion of the KXL pipeline and a bill intended to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
The second package, the Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4), focuses on the economy and includes regulatory changes to natural resource-related industries. One bill included in H.R. 4 would require approval from Congress for any new major regulation from a federal agency, with special focus on rules concerning taxes on carbon emissions.
Some Democrats have stated that the bills will not pass the Senate, and many have criticized the move as an attempt to increase conservative voter turnout in the midterm elections.
Sources: Congress.gov, E&E News
Updated 11/4/2014
Alaska commission asks that resource development be priority for Arctic Council
October 9, 2014
The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission has asked the U.S. State Department to prioritize Arctic resource extraction during the 2-year U.S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council starting in 2015. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental committee composed of eight member countries with territory in the Arctic Circle as well as Arctic Indigenous communities and a number of non-Arctic observer states. The U.S. will serve as chair of the Council from May 2015 to May 2017.
The Commission’s letter expresses concern for Alaska jobs and economic stability and discourages expanding wilderness areas or regulation. Alaska relies on oil industry revenues for 90 percent of the state’s discretionary budget so resource development is of particular interest. The Commission also requested that the White House form an Arctic Council Advisory Committee, composed of state, local and Alaska Native representatives to increase stakeholder involvement in the U.S. chairmanship.
The Commission requested federal assistance for Native communities affected by climate change, including villages along the northwest coast of Alaska, where changing shorelines and melting permafrost threaten infrastructure.
Sources: Alaska Arctic Policy Commission, the Arctic Council, E&E News
Updated 11/4/2014