Climate Politics
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Strengthening clean energy competitiveness through the America COMPETES reauthorization
This post was co-authored by Mark Muro and Rob Atkinson, and originally appeared at The New Republic. Having passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 28, the America COMPETES Act, America’s flagship competitiveness legislation, will soon be debated in the U.S. Senate. The Act was originally passed in 2007 in response to mounting concern […]
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A closer look at the Clean Air Act provisions preempted by the Senate climate bill
I’ve argued that the Senate climate bill takes away some EPA powers under the Clean Air Act but overall gives the agency more power, and specifically that the bill preserves EPA authority to regulate both new and old coal plants, which is the power it most needs. Now let’s take a closer look at the […]
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‘Green’ California utility PG&E attacks local renewables
California’s largest electricity provider — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. — has gotten some understandable love from the environmental world recently. It’s part of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, an enviro/business alliance calling for a national climate plan. It told off (and quit) the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for hating all over clean energy and […]
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The battle for comprehensive energy and climate legislation has just begun
It has been almost a year since the House passed comprehensive energy and climate legislation. It has been 7 months since the Senate Environment Committee passed comprehensive energy and climate legislation. Many supporters are frustrated by the slow pace of progress and the obstacles that remain in the way. But it has only been one […]
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Moving U.S. energy policy to a decentralized grid
The future of America’s domestic energy supply has become as murky as the waters of the Gulf as the oil spill fallout has legislators scrambling to rewrite offshore oil drilling provisions in the latest versions of the climate bill. Critical to reducing American dependence on fossil fuels is the development of alternative clean energy sources, […]
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The Climate Post: Obama retrieves energy, climate debate from Gulf
First things first: Just as discussion of climate change and clean energy dipped below the oil-stained surface of the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama yesterday tried to reach in and offer Climate Policy Resuscitation. He delivered a broad address on the U.S. economy at Carnegie Mellon University, touring the financial crisis, health care reform, […]
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Why Whole Foods’ shoppers are thin and Albertsons’ aren’t
A recent University of Washington study showed Seattle-area shoppers at Whole Foods are much less likely to be obese, on average, than shoppers at the less expensive chain Albertsons. I shrugged when I read this. From what I can tell, the study didn’t control for income: it’s well established that Whole Foods shoppers have higher […]
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Prez pumps up the volume on climate-bill push
Pump, pump, pump it up. Photo: Mike Schmid via FlickrAt last, Obama brings the love: The president’s public display of affection yesterday for Senate climate and energy legislation made sponsor John Kerry (D-Mass.) happy. And Obama’s gambit to frame a vote for the bill as a vote against Evil Big Oil may be the only […]
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A ‘BP spill bill’ instead of a climate bill? [UPDATED]
Update below Will Democratic leaders try to merge climate legislation with politically popular get-tough-on-BP measures? This morning Politico hints as much: the strategy now will be to include climate provisions in a BP SPILL BILL tightening industry controls, on the theory the bill will be hard to oppose. No such bill exists yet; this is […]
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The Senate climate bill gives EPA authority over both old and new coal plants
Yesterday I explained how the American Power Act would both curb and expand EPA’s authority to clamp down on greenhouse gases (to net positive effect, or so I argued). I ended with this teaser: Now, there is one extremely good reason to want to preserve Clean Air Act stationary source tools for greenhouse gases: America […]
