Earlybird, October 22
Subscribers can read all of Earlybird each weekday.
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
Daybook events
House and Senate events on energy issues
• The Interior Department - Event
May 16, 2012 2:00 pm
Latest Energy News
-

Is Unpriced Carbon The Next Subprime?
Bob Litterman spent a career looking for trouble: trouble in markets, trouble in businesses, trouble of the sort that could send the world economy spiraling into crisis. A former head of Goldman Sachs' risk department and MIT economics professor, Lit...
National Journal Online | October 04, 2010 | 4:40 pm
-

Dems Seek Answers On Gulf Explosion
House and Senate leaders this afternoon were reacting cautiously to reports of an oil platform explosion 80 miles off the Louisiana coast, but a more critical reaction from some House Democrats suggests this latest event could rev up calls for Congre...
National Journal Online | September 02, 2010 | 5:40 pm
-

BP Spent Big On Advertising After Spill
BP spent more than $93 million on advertising -- more than $5 million a week -- in roughly four months surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, a congressional committee reported today in a letter to a Florida lawmaker. ...
National Journal Online | September 01, 2010 | 2:29 pm
-

Biden: Stimulus Dollars Fueling Energy and Life-Saving Technology
Recovery Act dollars fueled major innovative and technological breakthroughs in solar power, electric vehicles, and medical research, according to a new report touted by Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday. New technology, made possible by the $100 b...
Tech Daily Dose | August 24, 2010 | 1:53 pm
-

Deepwater Horizon's Enduring Lessons
At some point in the next week, BP will likely initiate the "bottom kill" procedure that permanently plugs the Macondo well, bringing to an end the worst maritime oil spill in American history. No more 24/7 video of oil gushing... ...
National Journal Online | August 17, 2010 | 5:50 pm
-

Reid Punting On Oil Spill Bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced today he is abandoning efforts to bring up spill legislation before the August recess, pleasing the oil industry but disappointing the liberal members of his caucus. In a déjà vu moment from a c...
National Journal Online | August 03, 2010 | 4:28 pm
-

Insiders Divided on Energy Legislation
As Senate Dems push to bring an energy bill to the floor before they leave Washington for the Aug. recess, the 2 parties remain strongly divided on the electoral merits the legislation, according to this week's National Journal Political Insiders... ...
Hotline On Call | July 22, 2010 | 4:38 pm
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 16
1) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., may need to convince the liberal members of his caucus to support an energy-only bill or risk losing even that (CongressDailyAM -- subscription). 2) Democrats are running out of time to pass a climate an...
National Journal Online | July 16, 2010 | 8:54 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 15
1) Moderate Democrats must support a climate and energy bill in order for it to pass, yet they seem increasingly opposed to it (CongressDailyAM -- subscription). President Obama's top energy and climate aide, Carol Browner, indicated the White House ...
National Journal Online | July 15, 2010 | 9:19 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 14
1) Senate Democrats have little chance of passing even a slimmed-down climate and energy bill before the August recess due to, among other things, lack of floor time (CongressDailyAM -- subscription). 2) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., c...
National Journal Online | July 14, 2010 | 8:58 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 13
1) Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I/D-Conn., this week will start circulating a scaled-back carbon pricing system plan that focuses on the utility sector (The Hill). Utilities are mixed on the idea, while Republicans maintain there isn...
National Journal Online | July 13, 2010 | 9:03 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 12
1) In climate and energy bill discussions, senators are split on their support for a renewable energy standard versus a "diverse" standard that would also incorporate nuclear power and "clean coal." Either could become the core piece of a bill (Congr...
National Journal Online | July 12, 2010 | 9:04 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 9
1) A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected the Obama administration's efforts to reinstate its deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico (Wall Street Journal). The Interior Department is expected to issue a new moratorium as early as t...
National Journal Online | July 09, 2010 | 9:01 am
-

Angle Repeats BP "Slush Fund" Line
Ex-NV Assemb. Sharron Angle (R) handed Dems a new gift today, calling a $20B escrow account set up to pay out victims of the BP oil spill a "slush fund," echoing Rep. Joe Barton's (R-TX) much-ridiculed apology to BP and... ...
Hotline On Call | July 08, 2010 | 3:57 pm
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 8
1) The Obama administration will argue in federal court today that its ban on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico should be reinstated (Bloomberg) The Interior Department is expected to issue new guidelines this week that could allow some drill...
National Journal Online | July 08, 2010 | 9:14 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 7
1) The Obama administration on Tuesday asked a federal judge to reinstate its deepwater drilling moratorium for the Gulf of Mexico (Wall Street Journal). Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said his department "had to take immediate action to minimize the...
National Journal Online | July 07, 2010 | 9:14 am
-

Dems Call Portman Ad Flip-Flop
Dems are pouncing on ex-Rep. Rob Portman's new TV ad out today. "There's a new energy tax coming our way from Washington that's a job-killer for Ohio called cap and trade," Portman says in the ad. He tells voters that... ...
Hotline On Call | July 06, 2010 | 1:22 pm
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 6
1) The Obama administration has embraced Bush-era offshore drilling policies it once criticized (Wall Street Journal). 2) Since the beginning of its oil spill cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, "BP has skimmed or burned about 60 percent of the a...
National Journal Online | July 06, 2010 | 9:06 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 2
1) Some experts in the manufacturing sector are worried about how a utilities cap on carbon emissions could hurt their industry (Environment & Energy Daily -- subscription). 2) Climate and energy legislation appears to be in "no man's land" as senat...
National Journal Online | July 02, 2010 | 9:04 am
-

Need-To-Know Memo, July 1
1) Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, has been working for months behind the scenes on a utilities-only cap on greenhouse gas emissions (ClimateWire). 2) Hopes for climate and energy legislation may hinge on bills written by Senate Energy and Natural Reso...
National Journal Online | July 01, 2010 | 9:06 am
-

Insiders Not Betting On Energy Bill
Members of both parties on Capitol Hill have limited expectations for significant energy legislation this year, despite Pres. Obama's broadcast appeal from the Oval Office last week when he reviewed the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. According to.....
Hotline On Call | June 24, 2010 | 4:00 pm
-

Rubio Supports Drilling, Unsure On Mirandizing Suspect
Ex-FL House Speaker Marco Rubio (R) said today that even in light of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. oil drilling will continue. "There is going to be drilling off the coast of the United States,"... ...
Hotline On Call | May 04, 2010 | 2:19 pm
-

Jewish Groups Lobby to End Foreign Oil Dependence
In an effort to thwart terrorist attacks against Israel, 17 Jewish groups put a full page ad in the New York Times today calling for the end of America's reliance on foreign oil. "By making energy security policy and climate... ...
Under the Influence | April 30, 2010 | 11:45 am
-

Veterans Lobby On Climate Change
More than 30 retired military generals and admirals are in Washington this week pushing Congress and the administration to pass the Senate trio's "American Power Act," despite the fact that the bill has not yet been introduced. Jonathan Powers, COO.....
Under the Influence | April 29, 2010 | 2:30 pm
-

Murkowski: Reid Is Playing Politics
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is frustrated with what she views as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's political posturing. Speaking to NationalJournal.com Tuesday evening at the Capitol, the top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committ...
National Journal Online | April 29, 2010 | 8:20 am
-

Feds To Cut Greenhouse Gases Through The Cloud
Government investments in cloud computing will contribute to the creation of a clean energy economy, the federal chief information officer said during Earth Week, Nextgov.com reported. Agency CIOs are taking a cue from an October executive order that...
Tech Daily Dose | April 23, 2010 | 9:49 am
-

Power Company Preps For Low-Carbon Future
Michael Morris, president and CEO of American Electric Power, is planning for a carbon-constrained future. Morris said his Columbus, Ohio-based power company is likely to build new natural gas plants to comply with future federal limits on the nation...
National Journal Online | April 22, 2010 | 8:20 am
-

Gerard: EPA Battle Could Hurt Economy
The Obama administration is regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act primarily to force Congress to pass climate change legislation, argues Jack Gerard, chairman and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute. Gerard described the EPA regulat...
National Journal Online | April 21, 2010 | 8:20 am
-

Legislate, Don't Regulate, Says Chemical Lobby
The EPA's plans to limit corporate emissions of global warming pollution are likely to have "very significant adverse consequences" on U.S. chemical companies, according to Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. Dooley argue...
National Journal Online | April 20, 2010 | 8:20 am
-

Battle Over The EPA
Having spent the last year warring over climate legislation, environmental and industry lobbyists are now facing off over an even higher-stakes trophy: the Clean Air Act and the Environmental Protection Agency's right to enforce it. Caught in the mid...
Under the Influence | April 19, 2010 | 5:49 pm
-

Wootliff: Businesses Ahead Of Enviro Curve
Fortune 500 companies are scrambling to respond to climate change, in part to protect their corporate images, according to Jonathan Wootliff, head of corporate accountability at Reputation Partners, a communications firm based in Chicago. Wootliff, w...
National Journal Online | April 19, 2010 | 8:20 am
-

Flacking for Coal Titan
When it comes to retaining prominent Washington image makers and legal talent, embattled mining giant Massey Energy has a reputation as a firm that doesn't spare expenses. For the last year, Massey has been using Qorvis Communications for public affa...
Under the Influence | April 16, 2010 | 4:27 pm
-

API Hires Rozett
American Petroleum Institute CEO Jack Gerard took another high-profile step to recast the association Wednesday, hiring media consultant and TV veteran Linda Rozett as the group's new vice president of communications. After a television career that i...
Under the Influence | April 15, 2010 | 11:11 am
-

Food Marketing Institute's Newest Hire
Pamela Stegeman has signed up as vice president of business planning and development at the Food Marketing Institute. She previously worked as president of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years at the.....
Under the Influence | April 14, 2010 | 12:04 pm
-

Steel Industry Hopes To Delay EPA Regulation
Thomas Gibson, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute, has a long history of involvement with federal environmental policy. Gibson served as deputy staff director and counsel on the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee....
National Journal Online | April 05, 2010 | 2:28 pm
-

Obama Urged To Promote Access To Energy Info
A group of companies and organizations led by Google urged President Obama Monday to help promote actions that would make it easier for consumers and business to see how much energy they use and to take steps to curb their... ...
Tech Daily Dose | April 05, 2010 | 11:48 am
-

Ethanol Group Adds Former Hill Staff
Growth Energy, a coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, has added some former Hill staffers. Katy Ziegler Thomas, a former aide to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., has joined the coalition as chief of staff. She arrives from the National Farmers Union,... ...
Under the Influence | March 23, 2010 | 2:23 pm
-

Inside The Energy Bill War Room
Advocacy and lobbying stories from this week's National Journal: (subscription) "Inside The Energy Bill War Room": When a group of young environmental activists set out to picket a late-February fundraiser hosted by nuclear power and coal-industry lo...
Under the Influence | March 19, 2010 | 9:00 am
-

U.K. Climate Security Czar Comes To D.C.
The United Kingdom fully supports the U.S. Defense Department's recent actions on climate change, the U.K.'s first-ever climate security czar said in an interview last week. The DOD's decision to include climate change in its Quadrennial Defense Revi...
National Security Experts | March 16, 2010 | 8:30 am
-

Voinovich: Energy-Only Bill Still The Way To Go
Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio was one of only a couple Republicans to join almost a dozen moderate Democrats in a closed-door meeting Tuesday to discuss the climate and energy proposal being crafted by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Lindsey Graham,... ...
National Journal Online | March 03, 2010 | 11:32 am
Advertisement
Advertisement
Columnists
Experts Blog
Our panel of insiders discusses key issues
- Boom and Bust: Renewable Energy's Future?
- The Nexus Between Biofuels, Energy, and Agriculture
- What More Can Be Done to Ensure Safe Offshore Drilling?
Resources
Guide to researching the energy & climate change debate
- 07/15/10--CBO: Using Biofuel Tax Credits to Achieve Energy and Environmental Policy Goals | related story
- 07/07/10--Letter to Energy Secretary Chu to stop moving forward on shuttering the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site | see related story
- 07/06/10--Proposed EPA emissions "transport rule"
- 06/24/10--Rahall draft plan (PDF) | related story
- 06/10/10--Lugar Proposal
Energy Promise Audit
Tracking Obama's progress on campaign promises
- Increase Number Of Plug-In Hybrid Cars
Updated: August 09, 2010 - End American Dependence On Foreign Oil In Ten Years
Updated: August 09, 2010 - Double Fuel Economy Standards
Updated: May 24, 2010

