The Policy Road Ahead Briefing Sheet ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. ISSUE Oil and Gas Production

Transcription

1 The Policy Road Ahead Briefing Sheet At Issue: ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ISSUE Oil and Gas Production Climate Change Opposes oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and new drilling along U.S. coasts Might be willing to accept some exploration of limited offshore drilling as part of a more comprehensive energy bill Praised a proposal from a bipartisan "gang of 10" senators that could open to offshore drilling as much as 200 million additional acres in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast Altered his position and called for tapping the nation s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower gasoline prices Supports leasing more of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska for oil and gas production Would impose a "windfall profits" tax on multinational oil companies Opposes proposals to ease pump prices this summer by suspending federal taxes on gasoline and diesel, and would use part of the tax to provide consumers with an emergency energy rebate of $1,000 per family Favors tougher fuel-economy standards on new cars and trucks Goal is to reduce American oil use 35 percent by 2030 Stated: I think that in 10 years, we can reduce our dependence so that we no longer have to import oil from the Middle East or Venezuela. I think that's about a realistic timeframe." Backs ambitious climate-change legislation to cut U.S. globalwarming pollution 80 percent below 1990 levels by Under President-elect Obama's cap-and-trade proposal, the federal government would auction greenhouse-gas emission "credits" to companies that want to continue to pollute. Money from the auction would be used to develop clean-energy technologies, increase efficiency, and underwrite the labor costs of transitioning to new technologies. Would create a global energy and environmental forum that would include the Group of Eight major industrial nations plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa. Would start a new program to export "climate-friendly technologies" to developing countries Foley & Lardner LLP Attorney Advertisement Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL

2 Alternative Biofuels Renewable Nuclear Power Car and Fuel Efficiency Coal Require power companies to generate 25 percent of their electricity from solar, wind, or other sustainable sources by 2025 Also favors ambitious efficiency goals for new and existing buildings Supports alternative energy development by investing $150 billion in emerging technologies and renewable fuels Goal to have 10 percent of the country s energy needs met by renewable resources by the end of first term Would "modernize the national utility grid" to accommodate the transmission of energy from new power sources Backs federal ethanol mandates and seeks greater federal support for making ethanol from switchgrass and other nonfood crops Favors corn ethanol subsidies Opposes imported sugar cane ethanol Promises to dedicate $150 billion to developing and commercializing clean-energy technologies Would require that 10 percent of the nation's energy come from renewable sources by 2012 Would extend the federal tax credit for the production of alternative energy for five years Would invest in research for nanotechnology to make solar cells cheaper Voted in favor of solar and wind credits Would spend $15 billion per year to create five million "green collar" jobs over the next decade Opposes additional nuclear power plant construction until industry finds a storage solution Has not ruled out increased use of nuclear power Opposes Yucca Mountain repository Calls for investing $150 billion over 10 years to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrid vehicles and giving consumers $7,000 tax credits for purchasing those vehicles Would provide $4 billion in tax credits to U.S. automakers to help them retool their factories to build the fuel-efficient cars Supports development of coal-to-oil technologies, although he now says that all new fuels should have to meet a national lowcarbon standard 2008 Foley & Lardner LLP 2

3 Speculation Legislation Key Advisers Possible Cabinet Nominees: Proposed tightening the regulation of oil speculators in an effort to ease record high gasoline prices Proposed preventing traders of American crude oil from routing transactions through offshore markets to evade American limits Called on the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate market manipulation and oil futures In July 2005, voted for an overhaul of energy laws proposed and signed into law by the Bush administration that also provided $14.6 billion in energy-related tax incentives Jason S. Grumet, President of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank Daniel M. Kammen, Professor of, Public Policy, and Nuclear Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley Howard A. Learner, Executive Director of the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center Julie Anderson, Counsel for the National Commission on Policy Frank E. Loy, a former head of the German Marshall Fund Heather Zichal, Legislative Director for Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Elgie Holstein, former Clinton administration official in Commerce and departments Eric Washburn, Legislative Counsel at the Bipartisan Policy Center Denis McDonough, former Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Kevin Knobloch, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists Robert M. Sussman, former Environmental Protection Agency deputy administrator during Clinton administration Dan C. Esty, an environmental law and policy professor at Yale University Todd Atkinson, President-elect Obama's environmental legislative adviser in the Senate Karen Bridges, former Legislative Counsel to Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) David B. Sandalow, Senior Fellow and and Environment Scholar at the Brookings Institution Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Chairman of U.S. Senate Committee on and Natural Resources Former Rep. Phil Sharp (D-IN) 2008 Foley & Lardner LLP 3

4 Interior Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) EPA Administrator Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., environmental lawyer and Chairman of the Waterkeeper Alliance Kathleen A. McGinty, former Chairwoman of the Council of Environmental Quality Latest News: Notes, Votes, & Quotes CQ Politics, October, 23, 2008 Palin Adds More Juice to High-Voltage Debate Greenwire, September 4, 2008 Obama Pledges to 'Re-Engage' the U.S. With Big -Using Countries ClimateWire, September 3, 2008 Gop Platform Inches Toward McCain on Climate, ANWR Greenwire, September 2, 2008 Democratic Platform Promotes Alt-, Global Leadership on Climate E&E News PM, August 14, 2008 On, Candidates Straddle the Center National Journal, August 8, 2008 McCain Stumps for Plan to Dramatically Increase Nuclear Capacity Greenwire, August 6, 2008 Obama Pushes Investment in Hybrids, Renewable to Bolster Economy BNA Daily Exec, August 5, 2008 Obama, in New Stand, Proposes Use of Oil Reserve The New York Times, August 5, 2008 Mixed Climate Reviews on Obama Plan ClimateWire, August 5, Foley & Lardner LLP 4

5 Obama Signals Willingness to Tap SPR, Back Offshore Drilling E&E News PM, August 4, 2008 McCain Promises an Activist Government on Challenges Greenwire, June 24, 2008 Obama Camp Closely Linked With Ethanol The New York Times, June 23, 2008 To Ease Gas Prices, Obama Eyes Speculators New York Times, June 23, 2008 McCain Proposes New Steps to Reduce Oil Dependency National Journal s Congress Daily, June 23, 2008 Shades of Green" National Journal, June 21, Foley & Lardner LLP 5