Yesterday afternoon the Senate voted down a Senator Murkowski’s Resolution of Disapproval by a vote of 47-53. This resolution was introduced in an effort to overturn the Endangerment Finding finalized by EPA last December. This finding has provided EPA with the legal basis to proceed with controlling greenhouse gas emissions from both mobile and stationary sources. Were it overturned, EPA would not have been able to issue the new light duty vehicle standard or finalize the tailoring rule.
The resolution received the support of all forty-one Senate Republicans and six Senate democrats: Sens. John Rockefeller of West Virginia, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Evan Bayh of Indiana. However, it failed to reach the simple majority it would have needed to pass. Despite the close vote, it was unlikely the resolution would have been officially adopted, as it required a Presidential signature. Earlier this week the White House had indicated that it would almost certainly veto it. Senator Murkowski indicated that despite the slim chance for passage, the vote would still send a message that Congress, not EPA, should be addressing greenhouse controls.
The tailoring rule that Senator Murkowski’s resolution would have prevented was finalized by EPA last month. For more information click here.
Senator Lugar’s Practical Energy and Climate Plan
Senator Murkowski’s resolution was not the only Senate action regarding climate change this week. On June 9, 2010, Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana introduced S.3464, the Practical Energy and Climate Plan. This legislation aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil by forty percent by 2030, cutting energy usage by eleven percent. According to the plan this would reduce America’s emissions by over twenty percent by 2030. This legislation is seen as an alternative to the discussion draft introduced by Senators Kerry and Lieberman in Mid-May. Contrary to that legislation, this bill would not set mandatory caps on emissions. This bill which is only 122 pages long includes four titles: Reducing Foreign Oil Dependence, Energy Efficiency, Diverse Domestic Power and Measurement & Review of Energy & Climate Programs.
This emissions cut would be accomplished, not with a cap-and-trade approach, but through greater emphasis on fuel efficiency for vehicles and increased use of clean energy. Beginning in 2016, this plan would mandate a four percent increase in fuel efficiency for light duty vehicles on an annual basis. Additionally fuel economy standards would apply to medium and heavy-duty vehicles.
Title III of Senator Lugar’s plan includes a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)-like provision he has entitled a “diverse energy standard”. This would require utilities to purchase twenty percent of their electricity from clean energy sources by 2020. This list includes landfill gas and waste-to-energy, amongst many other sources of energy.
Unlike the Kerry-Lieberman bill, S.3464 would not pre-empt the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases as pollutants.
Senator Lugar believes this plan will generate more support than other climate change legislation due to its more moderate approach. He has already received the support of Senator Graham who believes this bill has more chance of proceeding than the Kerry-Lieberman plan. A copy of the legislation can be found here.