"The statement from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s chief executive sounded straightforward. In “no instances,” Jeff Lyash assured members of Congress two years ago, had the federal power giant given a utility industry trade group the go-ahead to represent it in court challenges to stricter air pollution regulations."
During the next two weeks, expect a rush of Congressional activity as both chambers attempt to set details that will constitute what some see as possibly the most important climate legislation in years. TipSheet helps you keep track of the action, first setting the stage on two massive measures, and then providing resources to track more than half-a-dozen House committees.
"Academic researchers say the fossil fuel industry has a new tool to delay efforts to curb emissions – a social justice strategy".
"Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reiterated Sunday that he opposed the Democrats' $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package as the party pushes to pass it and a bipartisan infrastructure bill amid packed September negotiations."
"A federal judge yesterday struck down Obama-era regulations on royalty valuations for coal mined from public lands but kept parts of the rule related to oil and gas payments."
"President Biden will nominate the chair of the District of Columbia’s Public Service Commission to fill a vacancy on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the White House announced today [Thursday].
If confirmed by the Senate, Willie Phillips, a Democrat, would tip the political scale in favor of Biden’s party on the five-member commission that regulates wholesale power markets and large energy projects and is crucial for the success of the administration’s climate agenda.
"In Congress, details are emerging of the climate and clean energy policies in a sweeping $3.5 trillion budget package that Democrats are drafting and hope to send to Mr. Biden’s desk by year’s end."
"The House Natural Resources Committee late on Thursday passed legislation that will go into a wider budget reconciliation package that includes restoring protections for a pristine Arctic wildlife refuge from oil and gas drilling."
"The Biden administration on Wednesday released a blueprint showing how the nation could move toward producing almost half of its electricity from the sun by 2050 — a potentially big step toward fighting climate change but one that would require vast upgrades to the electric grid."
"After a summer of weather extremes that highlighted the urgency of limiting global warming in starkly human terms, new research is clarifying what it will take to do so. In order to have just a 50 percent chance of meeting the most ambitious climate target, the study found, the production of all fossil fuels will need to start declining immediately, and a significant majority of the world’s oil, gas and coal reserves will have to remain underground over the next few decades."
