Washington Post
Feb. 7, 2019
For months, the term Green New Deal has been bandied about by Democrats in Congress and on the campaign trail for president as their catchall phrase for a sweeping effort to halt runaway climate change.
On Thursday,
the slogan
got some meat on its bones as Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) prepared to introduce a framework outlining the goals of a sweeping climate pact going forward — and stop other Democrats from defining the Green New Deal however they wanted.
Their measure
already has the backing
of four Democratic senators who have launched bids for the 2020 presidential nomination. But it is already being lampooned by Republicans — though embraced by progressives — for its broad aims on things unrelated to climate, including increased access to housing, health care and education for lower-income communities.
More . .
.
The Hill
Feb. 7, 2019
Pelosi at her press conference said she had not yet seen the bill but said she welcomed “the enthusiasm that is there.”
More . . .
The Hill
Feb. 12, 2019
The Senate will hold a vote on the Green New Deal, an environmental and energy plan touted by progressives, Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell
(R-Ky.) said on Tuesday.
McConnell told reporters after a meeting of the Senate Republican caucus that he has “great interest” in the plan, which would spell an end for coal, a key economic driver in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, while promising new jobs for out-of-work miners and other workers.
More . . .
Washington Post
Feb. 14, 2019
For years, the Republican-led House Science Committee has tried to put global warming research on ice. It tried to slash government research into the warming globe and even launched investigations into scientists who produced a global warming study many conservatives despised.
But in January, Democrats took control of the House. And that committee's former boss, Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), retired.
Now the panel is turning a new leaf: Its new leader, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.), is taking a stronger stance on climate change. She decided to make the topic the focus of the committee's first full hearing this session and promised many more discussions about the science behind it in the coming two years.
More . . .
Multibriefs.com
Feb. 4, 2019
U.S. states are investing more in their energy efficiency efforts to deliver increased power savings even as the federal government is freeing the reigns of some of its environmental rules, according to the
2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard
.
Per the report, the 12th annual version, dispatched by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), there are clear leaders nationally — Massachusetts and California — as well as most-improved states — like New Jersey. Some states lost ground from previous reports (Iowa), and others are lagging behind, including North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
More . . .
Chemistry World
Feb. 4, 2019
Two years after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed banning methylene chloride (dichloromethane) in paint strippers, the agency has finally proposed new regulations to prohibit consumer use and limit commercial applications. However, environmental and public health advocates have
sued the agency
,
saying that the rules do not go far enough, and that the EPA’s failure to finalise the rules sooner threatens public health.
More . . .
National Law Review
Feb. 2, 2019
On January 31, 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was petitioned by the Attorneys General of 14 states (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) and the District of Columbia under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 21(a) to issue an asbestos reporting rule to require reporting under TSCA Section 8(a) of information necessary for EPA to administer TSCA as to the manufacture (including importation), processing, distribution in commerce, use, and disposal of asbestos.
More . .
.
NEW IN CONGRESS
Sponsors: Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)
Introduced: Feb. 7, 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)
Introduced: Jan. 30, 2109
Sponsor: Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA)
Introduced: Feb. 6, 2019
AGENCY ACTION
Dept. of Energy
Feb. 13, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE” or “the Department”) proposes to update and modernize the Department's current rulemaking methodology titled, “Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Products” (“Process Rule”). In overview, in this document, DOE is proposing to clarify that the Process Rule applies to the establishment of new or revised energy conservation standards and test procedures for both consumer products and commercial/industrial equipment. This proposed rule would make the specified rulemaking procedures binding on DOE, and it would also revise language in certain provisions to make it consistent with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (“EPCA”), as amended, and other applicable law. It also proposes to expand early opportunities for public input on the Appliance Program's priority setting and rulemaking activities, to define a significant energy savings threshold for updating energy conservation standards, to commit to publishing final test procedures at least 180 days in advance of a standards proposal, and to delineate procedures for rulemaking under the separate direct final rule and negotiated rulemaking authorities, among other issues. DOE may consider additional changes to the Process Rule in a future proceeding. In addition to requesting written comments on its proposal, DOE will also hold a public meeting at DOE Headquarters to discuss this proposal and obtain additional input.
Dept. of Energy
Feb. 11, 2019
On January 19, 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published two final rules adopting revised definitions of general service lamp (GSL), general service incandescent lamp (GSIL) and other supplemental definitions, effective January 1, 2020. DOE has since determined that the legal basis underlying those revisions misconstrued existing law. As a result, DOE is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) proposing to withdraw the definitions established in the January 19, 2017, final rules. DOE proposes to maintain the existing regulatory definitions of GSL and GSIL, which are the same as the statutory definitions of those terms.
International Trade Administration
Feb. 8, 2019
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC or the Committee) will hold a meeting on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at the U.S. Department of Commerce Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, DC. The meeting is open to the public with registration instructions provided below.
DATES:
February 28, 2019, from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Members of the public wishing to participate must register in advance with Victoria Gunderson at the contact information below by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, February 22, 2019 in order to pre-register, including any requests to make comments during the meeting or for accommodations or auxiliary aids.
Dept. of Energy
Feb. 7, 2019
On July 3, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) published a final rule adopting new energy conservation standards for residential furnace fans (hereafter the “July 2014 final rule”). This correction addresses typographical errors that appear in both the preamble of the July 2014 final rule and regulatory text in the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”). In certain locations (primarily table headings), the units for fan energy rating (“FER”) were inadvertently listed as “Watts/cfm.” This document corrects the units designation to “Watts/1000 cfm.” Neither the error nor the corrections in this document affect the substance of the energy conservation standards rulemaking or any conclusions reached in support of the final rule.
Dept. of Energy
Feb. 5, 2019
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) announces public meetings for the variable refrigerant flow multi-split air conditioners and heat pumps (VRF multi-split systems) working group. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires that agencies publish notice of an advisory committee meeting in the Federal Register.
DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting on Thursday, February 21, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Friday, February 22, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Washington, DC. The meetings will also be broadcast as a webinar.
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