Post-Election Update

Democrats captured the White House and substantially improved their majorities in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives during Tuesday’s national elections. President-elect Barack Obama and his team plan to move quickly with a transition plan, with key cabinet positions possibly being announced as early as next week.

Energy Independence and Security Act Becomes Law; Congress Acts on Additional Energy-Related Bills but Issues Remain for 2008

Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, an energy bill that includes new energy efficiency and renewable fuel requirements, but does not include renewable electricity requirements or energy tax incentives. Congress also adopted the omnibus appropriations bill which contains new direction on loan guarantees for advanced energy projects, and the Senate passed a farm bill containing incentives for biofuels, setting up a conference with the House of Representatives in early 2008.

Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act Clears Senate Committee Markup: Future Prospects Uncertain

The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works favorably reported the S.2191, The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, by an 11-8 vote. S.2191, as reported from the full Committee, retains the major design features of the version reported from the Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection on November 1, 2007.

Fall 2007 Federal Energy Outlook: Energy Bills Face Uncertainty in Conference

One of the major challenges for Congress this fall will be to reconcile, through a conference committee, the differences between energy bills passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. This Alert discusses the status of, and outlook for, the energy bills.

Energy Legislation Outlook in the 110th Congress

Congress and Cellulosic Biofuels, Opportunities and Risks

Recently, the World Bank issued a report claiming that the demand for biofuels in Europe and the United States is responsible for raising world food prices by 75 percent. This is only the latest in a string of critical reports that have diminished the original enthusiasm for biofuels as a solution to America’s domestic energy security and global climate change challenges.

Railroad Transportation of Nuclear Waste and Other Hazardous Materials

Railroads continue to have duties to shippers and the public, and they may not take the law into their own hands. Except for emergencies – and then only for the duration of the emergency – they must carry all commodities without regard to whether they are dangerous, unless the proper agency of the federal government has relieved them of that obligation.

U.S. Climate Change Policy Will Drive Significant Investment Opportunities in Traditional and Alternative Energy

A new President and the likelihood of more Democrats in the House and Senate may tip the balance of power in energy debates from traditional oil and gas interests to proponents of new energy sources and cleantech goods and services. While we watch the election unfold, and as the rhetorical battles over energy policy continue in Washington, D.C., climate change legislation looms largest of all the energy debates.

Energy's Next Step

Once heralded as the lynchpin to America’s energy independence, ethanol is increasingly under attack as a flawed energy resource. The livestock and food industries criticize ethanol for the impact it has on the price of corn. Environmentalists point out that corn ethanol takes almost as much energy to make as it produces. Communities in more arid regions of the country worry about corn ethanol’s high demand for water.

2008 National Forest Landowners Conference

Curt Rich will be a speaker during the General Session on April 11.

First Annual New Mexico Biodiesel Policy Summit

Van Ness Feldman's Curt Rich will be a speaker at 10:30 AM on March 27th during the Federal Policy session.

Air Quality Regulation in the Pacific Northwest

Climate change dominates the headlines. In response, policy makers across the country are adopting measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While climate policies are being developed outside of the conventional framework regulating air quality, they connect and impact each other.

Carbon Markets U.S. Forum

Van Ness Feldman's Bob Nordhaus spoke on legal and legislative developments and the firm exhibited at this conference, the first such event in the U.S. for leading global greenhouse gas media outlet and market advisory service Point Carbon.