Swing vote Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is pushing for bipartisan climate action, while the Biden administration is phasing out inefficient lightbulbs.
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Bipartisan lawmakers meet on climate, energy
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the Senates key swing vote, met with lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum Monday evening as part of a new push for bipartisan climate change legislation.
Sam Runyon, Manchin’s spokesperson, said via email to The Hill that the meeting was a way to gauge bipartisan interest for a path forward that addresses our nations energy security and climate needs.
The latest: Manchin on Tuesday appeared to say that the push doesnt mean that climate change provisions will come out of a Democrat-only reconciliation measure that lawmakers are negotiating.
No, no. The people we were speaking to are just as concerned about having reliable electricity as they are about doing it better than anyone else in the world. Manchin responded when asked if reconciliation should include climate change.
He also stated that he is working with a group to find a bipartisan solution to energy issues.
And, Manchin said that the reconciliation bill should focus on fighting inflation and the deficit.
More info on the meeting: Mondays meeting was first reported by NBC News, which said that Manchin organized the meeting alongside Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) organized the meeting.
Hannah Ray, Murkowski’s spokesperson, said that the meeting was a high-level discussion about energy and climate. She sent an email to The Hill.
So who were they all? A source familiar confirmed to The Hill that the other attendees were:
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Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif)
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Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
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Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
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Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.)
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Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.)
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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
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Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)
The source said that there have been other Republicans involved.
Additional takes:
Khanna told The Hill in a statement that passing a bold climate bill is my highest priority and that he was pleased to participate with colleagues on finding a way forward,
A spokesperson for Cramer directed The Hill to the senators comment to Politico that Manchin is genuinely interested in seeing whats possible and that Cramer shares the goal of America leading with innovation
Read about Manchins meeting here and read more about what he had to say on reconciliation here from The Hills Jordain Carney.
Energy finalizes rule phasing out inefficient bulbs
The Biden administration finalized a rule aimed at phasing out inefficient lightbulbs, reversing a Trump-era policy.
Two rules to improve efficiency standards for lightbulbs have been finalized by the Biden administration.
These new standards prohibit the sale and production of bulbs that emit less than a certain amount of light per watt of electric current. They are expected to be phased out of most incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs.
The administration predicted that the new standards will save consumers around $3 billion per year and eliminate the equivalent amount of 28 million homes from carbon emissions. Energy efficiency advocates have also predicted that each month that the standards are not implemented could lead to an additional 800,000.0 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Before the previous administrations move to roll back efficiency standards, the U.S. was set to ban most incandescent lightbulbs by 2020, a process that began in 2007 during the George W. Bush administration.
SOME WANTED MORE ROOM TO DRILL, BUT ALAS(KA)
The Biden administration is shrinking the amount of land eligible for drilling at an oil reserve in the Arctic.
The Obama administration plan, which would have allowed the government lease up to 52 per cent of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve to oil and gas exploration, was reaffirmed by the Biden administration on Monday. It reverses a Trump-era plan which would have allowed for 82 percent of this reserve to be opened.
This move comes at a time when the Biden administration is struggling with high gasoline prices, Republican criticism over its energy policy, and Monday’s move is not expected have any immediate impact on gasoline prices at pump.
Companies can’t start production if a lease sale is not completed within four years. The new decision is an earlier step in the process and will determine which lands are eligible for leasing.
Its not just about oil: In addition to shrinking the amount of land available for lease, returning to the Biden administration is also reinstating protections for certain areas of particular environmental significance.
Teshekpuk Lake will be one of the areas that will be protected. According to the Biden administration document, it is critical for the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd and nesting, breeding and molting waterfowl.
The administration explained that it would be better to protect the environment and allow energy development.
It stated that it provides greater protections for environmental values and subsistence uses in NPR-A, while still allowing oil and gas exploration and production consistent with BLMs management obligations.
What exactly is this reserve?
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The Alaska National Petroleum Reserve covers an area of 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope.
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The area was designated by the then-President Harding as an emergency oil reserve to the Navy in 1923. It was later transferred by the bureau to the bureau, who can sell leases to allow companies to drill for oil there.
You can read more about the Biden administrations’ move here.
LAWMAKERS EYE MINING REFORM
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ral Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced legislation on Tuesday that aims to reform mining practices on public lands.
The legislation, which seeks to establish a leasing system for mining rather than allowing claims, was introduced on Tuesday by the House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ral Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). This is a way to even the playing field between mining and other uses such as grazing, hunting, and energy development.
It would also establish environmental standards for mining and pay royalty payments.
WHAT WERE READING
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