Laserfiche WebLink
• Senate Environment and Public Works chair remains Barbara Boxer (CA) <br />• House Ways and Means -chairman still Charles Rangel (N~ but facing ethics scrutiny; <br />new ranking Republican Dave Camp of MI <br />• Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (MT) remains <br />White House: uossible new enemy team (not official) <br />• Energy czar: possible new position for Carol Browner, former EPA under President <br />Clinton; may come with National Energy Council portfolio based in the White House <br />• DOE -Steven Chu, Nobel Peace Prize winner for physics and current director of <br />Lawrence Berkeley Lab <br />• EPA -Lisa Jackson, former EPA and director of NJ Department of Environment <br />• CEQ -Nancy Sutley, current deputy mayor of Los Angeles for energy/environment <br />• FERC - TBA; appointments expected mid-2009; current Chairman Kelliher will be out; <br />possibilities include current commissioners Jon Wellinghoff of NV (renewables, <br />efficiency) or Suedeen Kelly of NM (transmission, organized markets) or could go <br />outside of FERC <br />Issues -short term <br />• Economic stimulus package: massive bill in the range of $500 billion, to be developed by <br />Democratic leadership over the new few weeks <br />• Expect massive infrastructure spending (highway, water projects) <br />• Huge tax title, possibly larger than spending side <br />• Energy title includes "energy, clean energy, energy efficiency, and renewables" <br />• Possible "green package": spending on green buildings and green schools as "down <br />payment" for new investments in efficiency programs; weatherization programs; mass <br />transit; low-carbon technologies <br />• Possible $75 billion for federal loan guarantee program to encourage private investments <br />in renewables <br />• Possible $10 billion in new federal trust fund to develop smart grid and other <br />transmission projects <br />Issues -long term <br />• Energy bill; health care reform; tax reform; climate change <br />• Energy bill starts in Senate Energy Committee with chairman Jeff Bingaman <br />• Priorities include renewable portfolio standard (RPS or RES), green programs, energy <br />efficiency (buildings), electricity grid and transmission, smart grid <br />• RPS coming - Bingaman claims Senate has votes to approve RPS <br />• RPS could change -15-25 percent renewable by 2020-2025; public power expected to be <br />included in any RPS (large public power systems only) <br />• RPS and 3 major issues: applies to whom; what happens to existing state programs; what <br />counts as efficiency <br />• Energy bill not a climate bill <br />• House takes lead on climate change -and has votes to approve bill, but when: how does <br />current economic situation affect climate debate? <br />2 <br />