The Washington Word

House Subcommittee Looks At Building Efficiency Bills

The Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee explored a numebr of bills designed to iomprocve the energy eficiency of the built envboronment at an April 10 hearing.

In his opening statement, Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said that, " A critical piece of infrastructure includes making homes, buildings, cities and manufacturing facilities more energy efficient. Efficiency work supports thousands of good-paying jobs at small businesses in every state. And weatherizing homes or retrofitting public buildings saves money and supports our efforts to address climate change."

Two DOE officials testified: The Honorable Daniel R. Simmons

Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel Simmons and Office of Economic IMpact and Diversity Directior James Campos.

For more on the hearing, click here .

Senators Press for More Wind Energy Funding (Despite POTUS' Claim They Cause Cancer)

Washington Post

Apr. 3, 2019

The morning after President Trump claimed that noise from wind turbines can cause cancer, a bipartisan group of 19 senators announced a push for “robust” funding of federal programs to support the industry, calling it an “American success story.”

A letter, spearheaded by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), to an appropriations panel noted that the wind industry employs more than 100,000 U.S. citizens and said funding was needed “to ensure America remains a leader in wind energy technology.” More . . .

Trump Campaign Seeks a List of "Climate Change Victories’ to Tout on 2020 Trail

McClatchy

Apr. 2, 2019

The Trump campaign is seeking a list of “climate change victories” that can be attributed to Donald Trump’s presidency, reflecting a shift in strategy ahead of the 2020 election as polls show growing voter concern over global warming, two sources familiar with the campaign told McClatchy this week.

Their quest comes as the Trump administration considers whether to establish a presidential committee on climate security that would include longtime skeptics of the dangers of climate change. The purpose of that panel would be to scrutinize the most recent national climate assessment, a comprehensive document vetted by 13 government agencies forecasting economic and national security perils in store for a warming Earth. More . . .

The Lower 48 Has Already Seen Two Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters This Year

Washington Post

Apr.10, 2019

It was a wild March headlined by abnormal warmth in our nation’s coldest state and a destructive and costly “bomb cyclone” in central United States.

By a landslide, Alaska posted its warmest March on record. At the same time, the powerhouse storm in the central United States became the country’s second billion-dollar weather disaster of 2019. More . . .

From Ruined Bridges to Dirty Air, EPA Scientists Price Out the Cost of Climate Change

LA Times

Apr. 8, 2019

By the end of the century, the manifold consequences of unchecked climate change will cost the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars per year, according to a new study by scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency.

Those costs will come in multiple forms, including water shortages, crippled infrastructure and polluted air that shortens lives, according to the study in Monday’s edition of Nature Climate Change. No part of the country will be untouched, the EPA researchers warned. More . . .

Registration Opens for 2019 Better Buildings Summit

R egistration is now open for the 2019 Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit July 10-11 in the Washington, D.C. metro area (Arlington, Virginia). Over 50 interactive sessions that address common barriers are now available to view online ; filter sessions by track, sector, or speaker to start planning your Summit experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to join fellow energy and sustainability professionals ready to share their innovative strategies in energy and water efficiency. Attendees will engage in lively discussions focused on emerging technologies, financing projects, workforce development, resilience planning, and more.

Registration
Building Tours
Sessions
Agenda At-a-Glance
Reserve Your Hotel Room (room block closes June 18)

NEW IN CONGRESS

NEW BILL: H.R.2119 - To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize grants for improving the energy efficiency of public buildings, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL)

Introduced: Apr. 8, 2019

NEW BILL: H.R.2104 - To clarify that no express or implied warranty is provided by reason of a disclosure relating to voluntary participation in the Energy Star program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH)

Introduced: Apr. 4, 2019

NEW BILL: H.R.2088 - To amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to reauthorize the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ)

Introduced: Apr. 4, 2019

NEW BILL: H.R.2043 - To provide for the establishment of a Home Energy Savings Retrofit Rebate Program, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)

Introduced: Apr. 3, 2019

AGENCY ACTION

Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Information Collection Activities Associated With EPA's ENERGY STAR® Product Labeling (Renewal)

EPA

Apr. 10, 2019

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), “EPA's ENERGY STAR Product Labeling” (EPA ICR No. 2078.07, OMB Control No. 2060-0528), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act ( 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ). Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through September 30, 2019. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Proposed Procedures for Use in New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Commercial/Industrial Equipment

DOE

April 2, 2019

On February 13, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment regarding proposals 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). This notice announces a second public meeting, to be held on April 11, 2019, and an extension of the public comment period for submitting comments in response to the Process Rule. The comment period is extended from April 15, 2019, to May 6, 2019.

Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee: Notice of Public Meetings for the Variable Refrigerant Flow Multi-Split Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps Working Group To Negotiate a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Test Procedures and Energy Conservation Standards

DOE

Apr. 2, 2019

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) announces a public meeting 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.

DOE will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Thursday, April 18, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Washington, DC. The meeting will also be broadcast as a webinar.