Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming: Press Releases

111th Congress Staff Report

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600

To read the full Report, please CLICK HERE
To read a copy of the Select Committee Report from the 110th Congress, CLICK HERE

Introduction

We are at a watershed moment in the history of energy production—and the choices we make at this juncture will determine the fate of our planet and the national security and economic future of the United States. Between now and 2030, roughly $26 trillion will be invested in energy infrastructure worldwide. Clean energy will likely make up an increasing share of this investment with every passing year. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that $5.7 trillion will be invested in renewable electricity generation alone between 2010 and 2035.1 This new infrastructure is long-lived and costly, and the decisions made in the next decade will set the course of the global and U.S. energy system—and of the global climate—for the next century and beyond. This transition also presents an unprecedented opportunity for economic growth and job creation in the clean energy technology sector. Other countries are taking the lead in clean energy and the United States must act now if it is to remain competitive in this rapidly developing global market.

Global climate change presents one of the gravest threats to our planet’s health, and to America’s economy, its national security, and its public health. Scientists warn that we may be approaching a tipping point, after which it will become increasingly difficult, or perhaps impossible, to halt global warming and its catastrophic effects. The United States confronts this issue at the same time it faces a deepening energy crisis—characterized by skyrocketing prices, high dependence on foreign oil, and continued reliance on high-carbon fuels that worsen the climate crisis.

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was created by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in 2007 to examine and make recommendations on the interrelated issues of energy independence, national security, America’s economic future and global warming.

During its four years, the Select Committee held 80 hearings and briefings, conducted investigations, led fact finding trips with Congressional members, and contributed to the most active four years in energy and climate policy development and debate in the United States Congress.

As a result of the Select Committee’s work in raising the profile of energy and climate issues, and spurring increased debate, the House of Representatives passed several pieces of legislation that will reduce our nation’s consumption of foreign oil, increase energy efficiency, and create new jobs in the clean energy sector.

In 2007, the first year of the Select Committee, the House passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which included fuel economy provisions co-authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee. The bill also increased America’s use of advanced biofuels, and updated energy efficiency standards for appliances and lighting systems.

The Select Committee also was instrumental in pushing for increased investment in clean energy technologies. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 invested $90 billion in clean energy, which jump-started new domestic industries like advanced electric batteries, boosted household energy efficiency, and helped key renewable energy sectors like wind and solar avoid collapse during the recession.

In June of 2009, the House passed the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, the first passage of a comprehensive energy and climate bill in the history of the U.S. Congress. The bill set ambitious carbon reduction targets, which were used by U.S. negotiators to craft the Copenhagen Accord. It also created a roadmap to create clean energy jobs and the next generation of clean energy technologies.

These legislative achievements happened as historic events indicated that swift action was needed to address a strained energy system and a dangerously destabilized climate. The years 2007-2010 are all in the top ten warmest years on record, according to NASA. Oil and gasoline prices peaked to record levels in 2007 and are on the rise again as the country emerges from the recession.

As the Select Committee ends its tenure of progress, it is clear that there is much left to be done to stabilize our global climate, and spur the development of clean energy technology and jobs here in America.

This report summarizes the results and findings of the Select Committee’s hearings and investigations, highlights legislative accomplishments that flow from the information it has developed and makes recommendations for steps moving forward.

Markey Statements on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Standards and Dept of Interior Wilderness Policy

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Friday December 24, 2010

Markey Statement on EPA's Plan for Greenhouse Gas Standards for Power Plants and Oil Refineries

WASHINGTON (December 24th, 2010) – Below is the statement from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) on the Environmental Protection Agency’s release of a schedule for setting new greenhouse gas standards for power plants and oil refineries:

“The timetables announced by the Environmental Protection Agency for curbing global warming pollution from power plants and oil refineries make clear the careful and committed approach that the administration is taking to protecting public health and the environment.

“The new sources to be regulated are among the largest emitters of greenhouse gases and businesses will benefit from the stable planning horizon that these rules will afford.

“The EPA standards won't be created in a vacuum.

“They will be based on technology that is already available and that these industries can affordably implement.

“We will wait to see the content of the actual rules but all can benefit from a clear timetable and an open and transparent process, which is what I will expect from Administrator Jackson.

“Putting standards for new power plants and oil refineries on the table is a good place to start moving us to a new clean energy economy that saves lives, helps halt global warming and makes us more efficient and globally competitive.”

Markey Statement on Proposed Interior Dept. Wilderness Policy

WASHINGTON (December 24, 2010) -- Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the incoming ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, issued the following statement in response to a new Interior Department policy to identify and protect wilderness quality public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The new Interior Department directive will instruct the BLM to identify public lands that have wilderness characteristics and to manage those areas in a way that protects their wilderness qualities.

“Protecting pristine wilderness areas for future generations is not a wild idea,” said Rep. Markey. “When it comes to managing our special public lands, for too long the Interior Department had been lost in the wilderness. Secretary Salazar's new directive will restore a common sense management policy to ensure that we do not despoil these special places.”

# # #

Markey Selected to Lead Democrats on Natural Resources Committee

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Longtime Environment and Energy Leader Will Fight for Jobs, Against Environmental Attacks as Ranking Member

December 16, 2010 - Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) was today selected by the House Democratic Caucus to be the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee for the 112^th session of Congress.

"In the next Congress, Republicans will attempt to short-circuit the laws that keep our water clean, our air clear and our public lands pristine, while giving short shrift to emerging clean energy technologies that can create jobs and clean up our environment," said Rep. Markey. "With my fellow Democrats on the Natural Resources Committee, I believe we can chart a course that will continue the progress we've made on creating energy jobs here in America, without sacrificing our nation's natural heritage."

Rep. Markey has served on the Natural Resources Committee since 1976 and has a long history of legislative accomplishments in energy and environment issues. He is the House author of the fuel economy standards in the 2007 energy bill, co-author of the clean energy and climate bill that passed the House in 2009, and several energy efficiency bills.

During his tenure in the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Markey has authored or co-authored many pieces of legislation.

Examples include:

Legislation to ensure American taxpayers receive a fair return on oil, gas and other minerals produced on federal lands.
Legislation following the BP oil spill to ensure that this type of disaster never happens again.
Legislation to reduce the federal deficit by recovering up to $53 billion dollars in lost royalty payments from oil companies who are drilling for free offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Legislation to promote renewable energy development while protecting our environment.
Legislation to protect our nation's most important natural treasures such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Georges Bank off the coast of New England.

Rep. Markey has served as Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming since 2007, but Republicans are eliminating the committee in the next Congress.

Markey Statement on Obama AdministrationaEUR(TM)s Gulf Oil Spill Lawsuit

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 202-225-4012

WASHINGTON (December 15, 2010) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released the following statement in response to the announcement by the Obama administration’s Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency that they will be seeking damages from the parties responsible for this summer’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico:

“This is first shot across the bow from the Obama administration to hold legally accountable BP and the other companies involved in this disaster for their reckless actions.

“As we’ve seen recently with BP’s challenging of the flow rate determinations from their blown-out Macondo well, BP is already taking an aggressive stance to limit their own liability.

“It may have taken these companies months to cap their well, but they will spend years trying to cap their financial obligations to the people of the Gulf. That is why it is vital for the Obama administration to swiftly advance this legal action.

“According to the lawsuit, BP has waived its right to limit to 75 million dollars any damages that go beyond the cost of removing the oil from the Gulf. The House passed a bill that would eliminate this liability cap for BP and any other company responsible for an oil spill, but the Senate has yet to act on this legislation, or the comprehensive spill response package in which it was included. Before the Senate adjourns, they should pass this legislation to bolster the government’s case against BP and the other companies, and in future possible legal endeavors.”

# # #

Markey: Cancun Agreements Represent Progress for Global Action on Climate

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

December 11, 2010 - Early this morning, more than 190 countries of the world reaffirmed their commitment to fighting dangerous climate change, reaching official agreement on a set of provisions for implementation of the climate accord created last year in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"This surprisingly solid level of progress demonstrates the worldwide commitment to taking action now to combat climate change. With this agreement we can look forward to further progress next year in South Africa," said Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

"This year, the U.S. and China worked together to reach agreement on provisions that will ensure we know whether both China and the U.S. are keeping their promises. Going forward it means to world's two largest carbon emitters will continue to be at the same table.aEUREURaEUREUR

"Not only are the U.S. and China at the same table, but for now they are also, quite literally, on the same page. That's real progress, and it should be a shot in the arm for all of us fighting dangerous carbon pollution."

Markey, Capps Push Varco for Information on BP Spill

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

National Oilwell Varco Withholding Key Information from Spill Commission; Senate Republicans Still Blocking Subpoena Power for Panel

December 8, 2010 - Two members of Congress today demanded that a company involved in the BP oil spill hand over key information to the independent commission studying the disaster. The company, National Oilwell Varco, has refused to turn over access to software and other information that would allow investigators on the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to recreate the computer displays engineers saw in the moments leading up to the explosion.

The letter was sent by Representatives Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and is available HERE. The letter echoes the requests from the commission for this information by the commission, which have been ignored thus far by NOV.

This refusal to provide information highlights the ongoing need to provide the independent commission with subpoena power. The House has passed legislation granting such authority, sponsored by Reps. Markey and Capps, but Republicans in the Senate have blocked the legislation from moving forward. While the commission does not currently have subpoena power, the letter made it clear that Congress does, stating: "It will be up to those who do have subpoena authority, including the Congress, to make sure the true facts of the BP spill are placed into the public domain. We remain steadfast in our determination to ensure that happens."

Rep. Markey said: "The refusal of National Oilwell Varco to cooperate with the spill commission underscores why the panel needed to have subpoena authority, as the House has already voted to grant them. The true roadblock here is the bloc of Republican Senators that has denied the commission subpoena power."

Rep. Capps said, "It's clear that National Oilwell Varco shares the same goal as Senate Republicans, protecting BP from full scrutiny of the independent commission. The House voted nearly unanimously to grant subpoena power to the commission investigating the BP oil spill, but Senate Republicans repeatedly blocked the legislation. The BP disaster took the lives of 11 workers and ruined the livelihoods of families throughout the Gulf Coast, and the Senate Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for helping the companies responsible escape a full accounting for their actions. Congress has granted subpoena power to independent commissions, including the Warren Commission and Three Mile Island Commission. The American people deserve a full accounting of this tragedy."

Markey to BP: Show Your Work on Smaller Spill Claims

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Chairman Sends Letter to BP CEO Bob Dudley

December 3, 2010 - Responding to new claims from BP that the government estimates of the size of the Gulf of Mexico spill are too large, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the CEO of the company asking for all materials related to his company's new position.

"BP's new claim that the spill is much smaller than previously thought flies in the face of multiple lines of evidence, and raises questions whether this is a scientific finding, or a litigious position," writes Rep. Markey to Bob Dudley. Rep. Markey asks in the letter for emails, correspondence, meeting minutes or other materials related to their new position.

Rep. Markey had previously called on BP to accept the government's Flow Rate Technical Group's estimates, so the federal government could engage in the task of determining BP's final fines for the accident. The federal government engaged independent scientists and used multiple, unrelated techniques to arrive at its flow-rate estimate. Additional independent peer-reviewed studies have corroborated the conclusions.

Today's letter can be found HERE.

Markey Statement on Obama AdministrationaEUR(TM)s New Oil Drilling Plan

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0600

December 1, 2010 - Today the Obama administration will announce a new offshore drilling plan for the years 2012-2017. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels in the House of Representatives, issued the following statement:

"Following the largest oil spill in our nation's history, this plan shows the Obama administration has heeded the lessons of the BP disaster. This plan will move America forward on a prudent path until we can ensure that when an oil company drills ultra-deep, it is ultra-safe.

"Opening up wide swaths of our coasts to oil drilling before we put the proper regulatory measures in place would have been a mistake. We can't put thousands of miles of coastline at risk for another spill when the oil companies are still not prepared to respond, and all for oil that would make an economically insignificant impact a decade or more from now.

"This drilling plan is only part of a comprehensive offshore energy plan which the Obama administration is developing, including safer forms of energy like wind and wave. Instead of looking deeper and deeper for the last remaining drops of oil, we can harness the wind that whips over the waves, and the energy from the swells off our coasts. Before we are swept away by the tide of international clean energy competition, we should push the limits of clean energy innovation, not the limits of deepwater drilling."

HEARING WEDNESDAY: aEURoeNot Going Away: America's Energy Security, Jobs and Climate Challenges.aEUR?

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Politics May Change, But Problems Continue;
Gen. Wesley Clark, RFK Jr. Lead All-Star Panel

More information about this hearing.

November 29, 2010 – While politics continue to evolve here in America, the challenges presented by our dependence on oil and fossil fuels, and the increasing destabilization of the climate continue to persist. General Wesley Clark, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and an all-star panel will discuss these ongoing challenges from national, economic and planetary security perspectives.

The Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming will hold a hearing on Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. in room 210 in the Cannon House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Not Going Away: America's Energy Security, Jobs and Climate Challenges.”

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “Not Going Away: America's Energy Security, Jobs and Climate Challenges.”

WHEN: Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Capitol Complex, Washington, D.C. This hearing will be streamed live at globalwarming.house.gov.

WITNESSES:
General Wesley K. Clark, US Army (Ret.), NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1997-2000
Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of the Waterkeepers Alliance
Richard L. Kauffman, Chairman of the Board, Levi Strauss & Co.
Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security
Kenneth Green, American Enterprise Institute

Markey Statement on New Oil Spill Commission Reports

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Chairman Stressed Flow Rate Issues, Industry Preparedness During Disaster

November 22, 2010 - A new draft report by the independent commission studying the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has found that the true flow rate of the blown-out well was not fully understood before attempts were made to stop the flow of oil, and that the companies involved and the industry were not prepared for this kind of an event. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) raised both of these issues as central to the problems with the response to the spill during the disaster, and commended the commission on its continued work.

"Anyone watching this spill unfold day after day could see that the oil industry was woefully unprepared for the disaster, and inattentive to the true size and scope of the spill as it happened," said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. "Had BP not shown such aggressive indifference to the size of the disaster, and the oil industry to preparing for such an event, then perhaps early actions could have made a difference in stopping this spill."

Chairman Markey pushed at several points in the disaster for a better estimate of the flow rate of the well. When BP, Halliburton and Transocean first appeared before Congress at a closed-door meeting with Chairman Markey and his subcommittee on May 4, 2010, Chairman Markey interrogated the companies about the flow of oil from the well, discovering that the flow of oil could reach up to 60,000 barrels per day. Following that revelation, Rep. Markey pushing for better estimates of the flow of oil, including the release of video from the underwater robots monitoring the well. Rep. Markey also revealed that BP knew the flow rate could be much higher than their initial estimates of 1,000-5,000 barrels per day.

Rep. Markey also revealed the fact that BP and the other major oil companies were all unprepared for this kind of environmental disaster. At a hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee in June, Rep. Markey uncovered that the oil spill response plans for the oil companies were virtually identical, with emergency contact information for long-dead scientists and walruses listed as threatened animals in the Gulf of Mexico. Rep. Markey's opening statement from that hearing can be found here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0269

Below are selected releases on Rep. Markey's work on the flow rate issue:
Markey challenges BP on flow rate:
http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0237#main_content
http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0234#main_content

Markey holds hearing on flow rate:
http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0232#main_content

Markey asks BP's then-CEO Tony Hayward for flow rate estimates: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0264#main_content

Markey links flow rate issue with BP's liability:
http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0255#main_content

Other releases on the disaster are available at: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_archive#main_content

Chairmen Waxman and Markey Call on BP CEO Dudley to Testify

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Release of New Report on BP Accident Highlights Need for Answers from Company

November 17, 2010 - In light of another report highlighting the systemic failures that led to the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) are inviting new BP CEO Bob Dudley to testify before the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep Waxman chairs the full committee, and Rep. Markey chairs the subcommittee.

A report released today by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council noted that the oil spill resulted from "an insufficient consideration of risk and a lack of operating discipline." Given those findings, the Chairmen believe Mr. Dudley should testify publicly about the changes BP has made to improve the safety of its operations. The Chairmen reiterated their request for Dudley's appearance most recently in a letter sent on Friday, November 12, which can be found here.

"BP's safety practices are matters of great importance to the Congress and the American public," said Chairman Waxman. "We need to ensure that all appropriate actions are being taken to ensure the safety and protection of the workers and the environment."

"This is the latest in a string of independent confirmations that systemic failures within BP's drilling practices led to this disaster," said Rep. Markey. "Bob Dudley owes the American people and the Congress an update on how they will ensure this type of accident will never occur again."

Below are links to a chain of correspondence between the Energy and Commerce Committee and Mr. Dudley.

Markey, Capps Point to Oil Spill CommissionaEUR(TM)s Lead CounselaEUR(TM)s Testimony as Further Reason for Senate Republicans to Stop Obstruction

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

(Nov 8, 2010) - Today, Rep. Ed Markey(D-Mass) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif) urged Senate Republicans to stop blocking legislation giving subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill investigating the BP oil spill from coming to the Senate floor for a vote.

At a hearing today in Washington D.C to present the preliminary findings of the commission's investigation, Fred Bartlit, lead counsel for the commission expressed his dismay that the commission has not been granted subpoena power by Congress:

"It is clear after hearing Mr. Bartlit's testimony that without subpoena power the oil spill commission is operating without all of the tools it needs to conduct a thorough investigation of BP's disaster. It's really astonishing that Senate Republicans have not allowed a bill that passed the House nearly unanimously to even come to the floor for the vote. They need to stop defending Big Oil and allow this bill to come to the floor when Congress returns to Washington next week," said Capps.

"Every day that Senate Republicans block subpoena power for the independent commission is another day BP, Halliburton and Transocean can duck and dodge the panel's hardest questions," said Rep. Markey. "The commission has already shown its value, and Senate Republicans should stop protecting the companies responsible for the spill by preventing the pursuit of the truth in this disaster," said Markey.

Background:

On June 8^th, Capps introduced legislation to give the Presidential commission subpoena power (H.R. 5481). The bill passed the House of Representatives 420-1 on June 23, 2010. The language was also included in the House-passed CLEAR Act (H.R. 3534).

"Because I don't have subpoena power, I have to look you in the eye and say I'm telling you what people told me. I can't subpoena people and put them under oath. I wish I could. I think it's damned important, but it's the way it goes."

Markey Statement on BP Spill Commission Hearing

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600

November 8, 2010 - Following the investigative hearing today by the independent oil spill commission, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement:

"When the culture of a company favors risk-taking and cutting corners above other concerns, systemic failures like this oil spill disaster result without direct decisions being made or tradeoffs being considered.

"What is fully evident, from BP's pipeline spill in Alaska and the Texas city refinery disaster, to the Deepwater Horizon well failure, is that BP has a long and sordid history of cutting costs and pushing the limits in search of higher profits."

Markey: Cement Test Report Solidifies Liability for Halliburton, BP

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Markey Calls for Subpoena Power for Spill Commission to Continue Important Work, Repeats Request for Bob Dudley, BP Head, to Testify

October 28, 2010 - Responding to findings from President Obama's independent commission studying the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that show both Halliburton and BP knew the cement mixture used for BP's disastrous Macondo well was unsafe, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement:

"The fact that BP and Halliburton knew this cement job could fail only solidifies their liability and responsibility for this disaster. This is like building a car when you know the brakes could fail, but you sell the cars anyway.

"We now know what BP and Halliburton knew, and when they knew it. And now we know they did absolutely nothing about it.

"This revelation highlights the need for the Senate to pass my legislation giving the independent spill commission full subpoena power.

"It is also unacceptable, in light of this new finding, that BP's new CEO, Bob Dudley, continues to refuse to testify before Congress. BP and Halliburton both have new questions to answer, and they should do so without any delay."

More Information:
"Tests showed unstable cement in Gulf well before explosion", Washington Post 10/28/2010
"Firms knew of cement flaws before spill, panel says", New York Times 10/28/2010
"Tests warned of cement troubles before BP blowout", AP, 10/28/2010

Markey: BP Chief Officially Refuses to Testify Before Congress

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

As Bob Dudley Blames Media, Everyone Else for Reaction to Spill, New BP CEO Avoids Talking to Congress, American People

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

WASHINGTON (October 25, 2010) – In a speech today in London, BP’s new Chief Executive Officer, Bob Dudley, blamed the media, industry rivals and “a fair number of observers” for the reaction to his company’s more than 4 million barrel oil spill – the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Meanwhile, Dudley officially refused to testify before Congress in Washington, sending a letter late Friday to Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) to decline an appearance at a congressional hearing to discuss the spill. Dudley also claimed in the speech that the company’s relationship with American officials had improved.

“The American people were told that as CEO, Bob Dudley would change BP’s attitudes and practices,” said Rep. Markey, who had requested that Mr. Dudley appear before his Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “Yet BP is continuing to point the finger at everyone but themselves. Since this disaster began, BP has stood for ‘Blame Passed.’

Since the last appearance by BP leadership before Congress on June 17th, BP has released findings from their own internal investigation into the Deepwater Horizon disaster, announced an overhaul of their safety practices, and installed a new CEO.

“The American people deserve answers from BP, but when it comes to appearing before Congress, one thing BP certainly does not stand for is 'Being Present,'" said Rep. Markey. “If BP is truly committed to repairing their image and standing with the American people and government officials, Mr. Dudley can start by appearing before Congress.”

Dudley’s letter of refusal can be found HERE

Rep. Markey’s letters to Dudley can be found HERE

# # #

Markey: On 6 Month Anniversary of Spill, New BP Chief Still HasnaEUR(TM)t Agreed to Date With Congress

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Bob Dudley Asked to Congress to Answer Questions About BP's Future

October 19, 2010 - The six month anniversary of BP's is tomorrow, but the company's new CEO, Bob Dudley, still has not agreed to attend a hearing and answer questions from Congress about the spill and BP's future efforts to clean up the mess and prevent future incidents. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has sent requests to Mr. Dudley, including proposed dates.

"Six months ago, BP's Macondo well began its months-long eruption into the Gulf of Mexico. Now that Mr. Dudley has taken the reins of BP, he can at least dedicate a few hours to answering questions about his company's efforts to clean up the Gulf region and prevent future incidents," said Rep. Markey. "This is a somber anniversary, and one that should remind the American people that the work to restore the Gulf is far from over."

The latest correspondence between Chairman Markey and Mr. Dudley can be found here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0325#main_content

Markey Statement on Obama Investigation into Chinese Trade Practices

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

October 15, 2010 - Following an announcement by the Obama administration's U.S. Trade Representative that his office would launch an investigation into China's questionable trade policies in the clean energy sector, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

"It is high time that Uncle Sam stopped acting like Uncle Sucker in its dealings with trade partners like China, who have clearly been playing fast and loose in an effort to gain an unfair competitive advantage against America's companies in the global clean energy race.aEUREUR

"I am pleased that the Obama administration has moved forward to launch an investigation into China's efforts to disadvantage American solar, wind, advanced battery, and efficient vehicle technologies, even as Chinese companies are seeking to get into the American market.

"Our ability to create good jobs and economic growth in the 21st century is directly tied to theaEUREURsuccess of the clean energy technology sector, and we need trade policies and domestic national energy policies that help advance this goal."

Markey Statement on Lifting of Deepwater Drilling Suspension

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

October 12, 2010 - Following the announcement by Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that there would be a conditional lifting of the exploratory drilling suspension in the Gulf of Mexico, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement. Hundreds of platforms continued to operate in the Gulf of Mexico during the temporary deepwater drilling suspension, which affected 33 deepwater drilling rigs.

"This deepwater drilling suspension was always about keeping the Gulf workers and waters safe from another oil spill, and it has been effective in doing so. The new rules that the Interior Department has issued will help ensure that if oil companies are going to drill ultra-deep, they are doing so in a manner that is ultra-safe.

"Because there was a suspension of belief on the part of the oil industry that an accident like this could ever happen, a suspension of drilling was necessary to bring those companies back to reality.

"Much more is left to be done in the wake of the BP spill. Senate Republicans continue to block subpoena power for the independent commission investigating the spill, and the Senate has still yet to take up the spill safety legislation that the House approved last summer."

Markey Asks New BP CEO Robert Dudley to Testify

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

October 1, 2010 - Robert Dudley will assume the role of CEO for BP today, taking over the oil company responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Chairman Edward J. Markey has sent a letter to Mr. Dudley requesting he appear before the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in Congress in order to discuss the ongoing issues and challenges still facing the families living and working in the Gulf region.

"BP is responsible for the worst environmental disaster in US history; Mr. Dudley takes over the oil company at a critical point in the clean up and compensation process and the American people are interested in hearing his plan to make the region's environment and economy whole once again," said Markey. "Now that Mr. Dudley is officially the Chief Executive officer of BP PLC, the company has released its Deepwater Horizon investigation report and reorganized BP to create a new safety division, Mr. Dudley should appear before the Subcommittee to address critical matters of safety in BP operations."

Markey first requested that Dudley appear before the Subcommittee in early August 2010 and followed up with a written invitation on August 16, 2010. On September 3, Dudley indicated that prior to becoming CEO of BP he would not be able to participate in any hearings regarding the BP Deepwater Horizon accident and BP's plans for enhancing the safety of its operations.

Separately, Markey also expressed his disappointment with the Senate's denial of subpoena power to the Oil Spill Commission. The House of Representatives voted to give the panel subpoena power by a vote of 420 to 1 on June 23, 2010.

"I am deeply disturbed by reports that the Bi-partisan BP Oil Spill commission has met with resistance and stonewalling in their quest to gather information on the Deepwater Horizon disaster," said Markey. "The Republican obstructionists in the Senate who have denied subpoena power to the commission in an attempt to shielding BP will not be able to veil the truth from the American people."

To read the full copy of the letter, please click here. The August 16, 2010 letter is available here, and Dudley's response can be viewed here.

Markey Statement on Administration Notice of Intent to Further Increase Fuel Economy Standards

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0500

October 1, 2010 - Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), chair of twin energy and climate panels in the House, today commended the Obama Administration on its issuance of a notice of intent to develop new regulations to reduce dangerous global warming pollution from the oil used by cars and light trucks.

"I commend the Obama Administration on its plans to further reduce our dependence on oil", said Rep. Markey. "As we have learned in the past six months, it is not just a dependence on foreign oil that poses risk. These new standards will be developed as a new generation of electric and other advanced technology vehicles are introduced to the American market, and I urge the Obama Administration to set aggressive standards that use realistic projections of the costs of oil and the availability of these new technologies."

Rep. Markey is co-author of the fuel economy standards that passed Congress in 2007 that were subsequently accelerated by the Obama Administration in order to reduce the need for 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2030. These regulations, which ushered in the first meaningful increase in fuel economy standards in several decades, were supported by both automakers and the environmental community. In April, Rep. Markey urged the President to embark on the next set of vehicle standards in order to build on the successful partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, the State of California, and other non-governmental stakeholders. Today's announcement represents the first step in that process.

Markey Capps Urges Senate Republicans to Stop Providing Cover to BP

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Call for Immediate Action on Legislation Giving Subpoena Power to Oil Spill Commission

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif) urged Senate Republicans to stop blocking legislation giving subpoena power to the Presidential commission investigating the BP oil spill from coming to the Senate floor for a vote. On June 8th, Markey and Capps introduced legislation to give the Presidential commission subpoena power (H.R. 5481). The bill passed the House of Representatives 420-1 on June 23, 2010. The language was also included in the House-passed CLEAR Act (H.R. 3534).

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced companion legislation (S. 3462) in the Senate. Previous attempts to bring the House-passed bill to the floor under unanimous consent were blocked by Senate Republicans.

“While the commission is getting to the bottom of how this catastrophe happened, BP and other companies involved with the spill are still giving it the runaround. Senate Republicans need to stop providing cover for Big Oil, and pass my bill giving the commission subpoena power so it can report back to the President by the January deadline with all the facts that led to this environmental and economic catastrophe. Without this critical tool – which the co-chairmen have asked for – Big Oil will keep stonewalling the investigation in the hopes they can escape being held accountable for their mistakes. The American people deserve a full accounting and that’s what the Senate Republicans obstruction is preventing. This bill passed the House almost unanimously, and Senate Republicans won’t even let it come to the floor. They should be embarrassed,” said Capps.

“By blocking the commission subpoena power, Republican obstructionists in the Senate are shielding BP from investigators tasked with getting to the bottom of this crime,” said Markey. “The BP oil spill was the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history, lives were lost and livelihoods ruined. Yet Senate Republicans have chosen to stand with BP instead of with the families living and working in the Gulf.”

A copy of the letter to Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell is below:

September 29, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader Minority Leader
United States Senate United States Senate

Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell:

We write to ask that you bring our legislation giving subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to the Senate floor for a vote this week. The House of Representatives approved H.R. 5481 by a vote of 420-1 in June.

As you know, previous attempts by Senator Shaheen and others to bring the House-passed bill to the Senate floor under unanimous consent were blocked by Republicans.

While the federal government has fully cooperated with the commission and its mandate, BP and other private companies involved in the spill have failed to provide accurate and timely information to investigators regarding a number of critical issues. In fact, Commission co-chairman Bob Graham told reporters yesterday investigators have “encountered resistance to full responses to their questions.” If these companies continue to stonewall the investigation, the commission will not be able to report back to the President with all the facts that led to this environmental and economic catastrophe.

We strongly agree with a statement from Commission co-chairman William Reilly, who also said yesterday, “It is unjustifiable for Congress not to give full authority for us to use all of the instruments of the investigative process to resolve this, for the one commission that is independent and has a national mandate.”

The Senate must act this week so investigators can compel testimony from reticent companies and enable the commission to complete its report on the causes of the spill by the January deadline. Without this critical tool BP and the other companies involved in the spill may escape being held accountable for their mistakes.

The people of the Gulf of Mexico and the nation deserve an explanation of all the circumstances and decisions that led up to this disaster. Only a comprehensive independent review — with subpoena power — will ensure that the necessary lessons are learned, that practices are changed, and that future disasters are averted.

Please advance the House-passed legislation as quickly as possible to guarantee the Commission has the appropriate tools and resources it needs to get the job done.

Sincerely,

LOIS CAPPS EDWARD MARKEY

Member of Congress Member of Congress

###

Markey to BP Commission: On Flow Rate, Ask What Did BP Know and When Did They Know It

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Presents Commission with Timeline Account of BP’s Misleading Flow Rate Statements

September 28, 2010 - Supporting the investigation of BP’s reporting and planned response to its flow rate estimate following the Macondo well disaster, Rep. Edward J. Markey sent a letter today to the Bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, urging them to probe BP’s attempt to cloak the true amount of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

As Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, Markey’s investigation demonstrated that even as BP was providing low flow rate estimates, internal documents from the company revealed that they knew from the start that the flow rate could be much higher. As part of the letter, Rep. Markey released a timeline document illustrating BP’s flow rate contradictions.

“What did BP know, and when did they know it - that is what the Commission needs to be looking into,” said Rep. Markey. “Low balling the flow rate numbers was BP’s attempt to hide both the truth and their wallet from the American people.”

In the letter to the Commission, Markey writes: “I share your concern that BP’s actions may have misled both the public and those charged with responding to the spill. I also note that the true flow rate of the well will have substantial financial implications for the company.”

Under current law, BP is required to pay a fine of at least $1,100 to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled - the higher figure in the case of gross negligence being found against the company. For every 10,000 barrels of oil spilled per day at $4,300 per barrel over the more than 80 days of oil spilled into the ocean, the fine would be more than $3.5 billion. The total size of the spill will also determine damages BP would have to pay for the spill’s effect on natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

The full text of the letter is below. CLICK HERE for a signed PDF version of the letter. CLICK HERE for a PDF of documents referenced in the Flow Rate Timeline.

September 28, 2010

The Honorable Bob Graham
The Honorable William K. Reilly
Co-Chairs
Bipartisan National Commission on the
BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
One Thomas Circle, N.W. 4th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005

Dear Chairmen Graham and Reilly:

I write regarding the Commission’s investigation into the manner in which BP reported on and planned its response to the flow rates of oil spewing from its Macondo Well. As you both are reported to have pointed out during yesterday’s Commission hearing, these estimates were consistently low-balled by BP. The Energy and Environment Subcommittee’s investigations into this matter demonstrates that at the same time that BP was providing these low estimates, its internal documents show that they knew all along what the likely flow rate was. As you know, accurate flow-rate estimates – that turned out to bear a striking resemblance to BP’s internal estimates - were only publicly released following extensive modeling by the Federal Flow Rate Technical Group. I hope that your work will include an investigation into just what BP knew, when it knew it, and what consequences its failure to be fully forthcoming may have had.

I share your concern that BP’s actions may have misled both the public and those charged with responding to the spill. I also note that the true flow rate of the well will have substantial financial implications for the company. Under current law, BP would have to pay a fine of at least $1,100 and up to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled, with the higher figure in the case of gross negligence being found against the company. So for every 10,000 barrels of oil spilled per day at $4,300 per barrel over the more than 80 days of oil spilled into the ocean, the fine would be more than $3.5 billion. The total size of the spill will also determine damages BP would have to pay for the spill’s effect on natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

As you may know, the Subcommittee conducted numerous oversight hearings, briefings and other activities related to this matter. During the course of our investigation, we obtained numerous documents and other statements from BP that demonstrate its awareness of the likely flow rate of the well, even at the same time that it was asserting much lower flow rates publicly. I enclose a timeline of the Subcommittee’s investigation, which has links to the pertinent documents.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. My staff stands ready to assist your staff in any way possible.

Sincerely,

     Edward J. Markey
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy
     and Environment

Cc: The Honorable Henry A. Waxman
Chairman
House Energy and Commerce Committee

The Honorable Joe Barton
Ranking Member
House Energy and Commerce Committee

The Honorable Fred Upton
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Flow rate timeline

April 24	BP initially asserted that the flow rate from the Macondo well was 1,000 bpd.
April 27	BP internal document showed an estimated flow rate in the range of 1,063-14,266 bpd
April 28	Coast Guard and NOAA publically estimate the flow rate to be at least 5000 bpd, which BP initially disagreed with
May 4	BP, in a briefing to the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee Members, say that the worst-case flow rate could be 60,000 bpd.
May 24	BP provided internal documents to Markey confirming the 60,000 bpd estimate.
May 27	The Federal Flow Rate Technical Group released its first preliminary estimate of flow rate with a low-end of 12,000-19,000 bpd
June 10	The Federal Flow Rate Technical Group revised its flow rate estimate upwards to 20,000 - 40,000 bpd.
June 15	The Federal Flow Rate Technical Group and DOE scientists revise the flow rate estimate upwards to 35,000 - 60,000 bpd.
July 6, 11	BP internal dispersant documents indicate that dispersant application decisions were made using a flow rate assumption of 53,000 bpd.
August 2	The Federal Flow Rate Technical Group and DOE scientists revise their flow rate estimate upwards to 53,000 bpd (with 10% error) for mid-July and 62,000 bpd at the beginning of the spill.

Markey: Rare Earth Disputes Reveal Threat to US Economy and Foreign Policy

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman sends letter to Secretaries Chu, Gates, Locke, and Ambassador Kirk

September 27, 2010 – Access to an obscure group of elements and materials, collectively known as rare earths, has become critical to the United States’ ability to compete for technology and manufacturing jobs in the clean energy race. Following recent friction between China and Japan, and allegations of Chinese trade violations by the United Steelworkers union, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, has sent a letter to Secretary Chu, Secretary Gates, Secretary Lock, and Ambassador Kirk seeking answers regarding access to these materials and U.S. strategy going forward to ensure secure supplies.

“Most of us may have never heard of dysprosium and other rare earth elements, but our domestic high-tech industries are in for a bad case of dyspepsia if they cannot get access to them. Rare earth elements are indispensable to our military, electronic, and industrial applications, and are critical in clean energy technologies such as wind turbines, hybrid vehicles, solar panels, and energy efficient lightbulbs,” said Rep. Ed Markey. “If access to rare earth elements is restricted, a level playing field will be impossible to achieve, and the United States will lose jobs to China.”

To read the letter, please CLICK HERE.

In the past 15 years, the U.S. has become completely reliant on imports of rare earth elements, and 97 percent of the 124,000 tons produced in 2009 came from China. By 2012, global demand is projected to skyrocket to 180,000 tons annually.

It has been widely reported that Chinese officials blocked shipments of rare earth elements from China to Japan in retaliation for Japan’s detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain. Meanwhile, the United Steelworkers union petitioned the U.S. Trade Representative earlier this month, alleging that China has used hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and other illegal trading practices - including restrictions on exports of rare earth elements - to undermine foreign competitors and dominate the clean energy sector.

“If Japan’s release of the Chinese fisherman this week was in any way a reaction to rare earth export restrictions by China, we have a clear demonstration of the unacceptably high strategic value these rare earth materials have reached,” said Markey. “A disturbing precedent such as this should give us pause to consider what it might take for China to take similar steps against the United States and how vulnerable the U.S. economy is to disruptions in the supply of rare earth elements.”

In the letter, Rep. Markey asked for responses to the following questions:

Is the Chinese government currently, or has the Chinese government at any point since the Chinese fishing boat captain was taken into Japanese custody on September 7, restricted the shipment of rare earth elements to Japan? How were these restrictions implemented and enforced?
With so many defense applications dependent upon rare earth elements, what are the national security implications of possible Chinese restrictions of rare earth element exports? What is being done to mitigate these impacts?
How much have Chinese exports of rare earth elements to the United States changed since the Chinese government implemented export quotas and other measures restricting the flow of rare earth elements out of the country?
What has been the impact of these export quotas on the U.S. clean energy industry and other industries dependent upon these materials?
When do you anticipate China meeting its 2010 export quota of rare earth elements?
What do you anticipate the impact on the U.S. clean energy sector and other sectors dependent upon rare earth materials will be if Chinese exports are halted after that 2010 quota is met?
The Department of Energy has announced that it is developing a strategic plan concerning rare earth metals and other materials in energy components, products and processes. What is the status of this strategic plan and when will it be available for review by members of Congress and the public?

Select Committee Hearing WED: The Global Clean Energy Race

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

September 20, 2010 – With international tensions over clean energy trade and competition increasing, there has never been a more pivotal time to assess America’s place in the global clean energy race.

Next Wednesday, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing to examine the form and scale of investments in the clean energy sector, where these investments are occurring around the world, what is driving them, the broader economic and employment implications of these investments, and the challenges to growing an American clean energy sector.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “The Global Clean Energy Race”

WHEN: Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: 2325 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHO:
Mark Fulton, Global Head of Climate Change Investment Research, Deutsche Bank
Michael Liebreich, Chief Executive, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Ravi Viswanathan, General Partner, New Energy Associates
Tom Carbone, Chief Executive Officer, Nordic Windpower

Visit the hearing page for testimony, photos, and video from this hearing.

Markey Statement on Successful Killing of BP Well

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

September 18, 2010 – Following the successful completion of the cementing operation -- pending final pressure tests -- permanently sealing BP’s Macondo oil well, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement:

“This spill began with a bang, ends with a whimper, and leaves a number of issues still screaming for attention.

“While BP's ‘summer of spill’ is over, the effects of this disaster will continue to affect the Gulf of Mexico and its residents for months and years ahead. The well is dead, but we must now ensure that the lessons learned from this tragedy will not die with it.

“This may be the final nail in the coffin for BP’s well, but the investigations into this crime against the environment are continuing. Inquiries by Congress, the Obama administration’s independent panel, and others will progress until every inch of this environmental crime scene has been examined and a full autopsy has been performed on the spill’s effects.

“Several issues with this spill remain unresolved. BP and other companies involved in this disaster must be held accountable for fines and other payments for the harm caused by this spill. The long-term effects of dispersants and persisting oil still are not known, and must be monitored to protect human health and the food chain as we work to restore the economy and the environment of the Gulf Coast.

“The true tragedy of this disaster would be if we turned our backs on the Gulf region after the well has been sealed. Only when the Gulf coast is environmentally recovered and economically renewed can we say that this disaster has ended.”

Select Committee Briefing THURS: Extreme Weather in a Warming World

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Features Pakistan’s Ambassador to U.S. to Discuss Historic Floods

September 21, 2010 – From New York City to Nashville, Washington to Pakistan, 2010 has seen more than its fair share of extreme weather events. To probe the long-term trends of disruptive weather events in a world beset by climate change, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a briefing to discuss these issues.

The briefing will feature Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, who will discuss the historic floods that have displaced millions of his countrymen. The briefing will also include top climate scientists.

WHAT: Select Committee briefing, “Extreme Weather in a Warming World”

WHEN: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 11 AM

WHERE: 2237 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

WHO:
Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States
Michael Oppenheimer, Professor, Princeton University
Thomas Peterson, Chief Scientist, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center
Michael Wehner, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

AUTO X PRIZE: Entrepreneurs Driving the Future of Jobs and Energy Security

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Congressional Briefing with X PRIZE Winners

Winning Vehicles to be on Display at Capitol

September 16, 2010 - Building new high-efficiency cars that reach 100 MPG will cut America’s dependence on foreign oil and save consumers money at the pump. On Thursday, September 16, 2010, the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE will be announcing the winners of their 31 month-long competition to build a production-capable vehicle that can achieve this goal.

Following the announcement, the winners of the competition will head to Capitol Hill to brief Members of Congress on their solutions. The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a congressional briefing with the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE winners at 2:00pm on Thursday September 16th, 2010 in 210 Cannon House Office Building.

Immediately following the briefing, Members of Congress will be able to view the winning X PRIZE vehicles, which will be on display at the corner of C Street and New Jersey Ave between the Longworth and Cannon buildings.

The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit organization whose mission is to create groundbreaking new technologies that benefit humanity and inspire the formation of new industries, jobs and the revitalization of markets.

WHAT: Select Committee Briefing, “Progressive Auto X PRIZE: How Entrepreneurs Are Driving the Future of Jobs and Energy Security”

WHEN: Thursday, September 16th, 2010 at 2:00 P.M.

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Capitol Complex

Witness List:
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman and CEO, X PRIZE Foundation
Oliver Kuttner, Founder and CEO, Edison2, Team Edison2 Team Leader
Ron Cerven, Project development engineer, Li-Ion Motors Corp, Team Li-Ion Team Leader
Jim Lorimer, US Sales Representative, 21st Century Motoring, Team X-Tracer Team Member

***PHOTO Availability with winning X PRIZE vehicles and Members of Congress will take place immediately following the briefing***

Markey Statement on BP Investigative Report

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

September 8, 2010 – Following the release of an internal investigative report by BP on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from the company’s Macondo well, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee and Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

“Just as the environmental damage did not end with the capping of BP’s well, this company-run investigation is not the end of the inquiries into the BP oil spill.

“This report is not BP’s mea culpa. Of their own eight key findings, they only explicitly take responsibility for half of one. BP is happy to slice up blame, as long as they get the smallest piece.

“BP is right that there was no one event that caused the disaster, and that blame can be shared among many parties. From the assurances given by the oil industry that this type of accident wouldn’t happen and could be contained if it did, to the overly-cozy relationships established between the oil industry and regulators, the series of events leading to this spill stretches back decades and the blame spans across the entire oil industry.

“Congress continues to investigate the disaster, as does the Obama administration and the presidential commission, and those are the investigations that will hold the most weight with the public and with those tasked with overseeing the oil industry. I look forward to seeing the final results of the multiple other investigations not funded by BP or the other companies involved in this disaster. Those are the reports that will tell the real story of this disaster, and give us the lessons we need to create laws that will prevent this type of accident from happening again.”

Markey Statement on Oil Drilling Platform Explosion in Gulf of Mexico

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500

September 2, 2010 – Following an explosion of an offshore drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement:

“This explosion highlights the significant risks associated with offshore drilling, and that much is left to be done to keep America’s workers and waters safe from those risks.

“After the 13 workers on this rig are safe and sound, we have a duty to them and all oil workers to make sure the oil industry’s drilling practices are also safe and sound.”

Markey: BP Refuses to Accept Flow Rate Number, Spill Size, Liability

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Signals Litigation Ahead on Total Fines Assessed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

WASHINGTON (August 25, 2010) – BP has yet again refused to accept the most recent federal government estimate of the rate of oil that leaked from the company’s Macondo well, and therefore the total estimated size of the Gulf of Mexico spill. Responding to questions from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) on whether the company would accept the numbers reached by a scientific team dedicated to determining the size of the spill, BP told Rep. Markey in a letter that the company is “continuing to evaluate available information.”

“As if we needed it, this is a clear signal that BP intends to fight the same numbers they claim to have helped create about the size of the spill,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “I continue to urge BP to accept these numbers in order to move on to the vital task of Gulf restoration, instead of endless litigation.”

The original letter sent by Rep. Markey to BP on August 11, 2010 can be found HERE.

BP’s August 24, 2010 response can be found HERE.

As Rep. Markey’s letter to BP noted, the most recent estimates from the Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG) were that 53,000 barrels of oil per day spilled from BP’s well immediately preceding its closure using the capping stack. However, at the beginning of the spill, 62,000 barrels per day were leaking from the well. During the 87 days that the well flowed, approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil was released.

The FRTG estimate has a plus or minus 10 percent uncertainty range. However, these are currently the best estimates of the spill. BP also has provided information, including video and other data, that led to the creation of these new estimates, and has not publicly indicated disagreement with these estimates. In the letter, BP says that it is “cooperating with the various federal agencies looking into this important matter.”

Under current law, BP will be assessed fines for each barrel of oil spilled. These fines will range from a minimum of $1,100 per barrel to up to $4,300 per barrel. The amount of oil spilled will also be used in assessing the extent of natural resource damages. The 53,000-62,000 barrel per day figure far exceeds BP’s initial estimates of 1,000-5,000 barrels per day and much more closely resembles the potential “worst case” scenario cited by BP officials to Congress of 60,000 barrels per day in early May.

# # #

Markey: BP Must Own Up to Flow Rate Number, Compensate the Gulf

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In Letter to BP, Congressman ask Oil Company to Accept 4.9 million barrel flow rate number produced by U.S. Scientific Team

August 11, 2010 – In response to silence from BP following the release of an official flow rate estimate produced by the U.S. Scientific Team’s Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG), Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, is calling on the oil company to accept the 4.9 million barrel of oil number so that damage claims can move forward.

In a letter to BP’s President and CEO Lamar McKay, Rep. Markey cited BP’s participation in the Unified Command process that produced the current estimate of 53,000 barrels of oil per day leaking from BP’s well immediately preceding its closure using the capping stack. The FRTG also indicated that, at the beginning of the spill, 62,000 barrels per day were leaking from the well. Because the well flowed for 87 days, 4.9 million barrels flowed into the gulf. The FRTG estimate has a plus or minus 10 percent uncertainty range.

“BP acceptance of a flow rate number is fundamental to its claim that it “is doing everything it can to make this right” for the families and businesses of the Gulf,” said Markey. “Oil may have stopped flowing from the well, but the suffering in the region continues. Low-balling or litigating the flow rate estimate would be just one more insult to the people of the Gulf.”

To read a copy of the letter to BP from Rep Markey, please click here.

Under current law, BP will be assessed fines for each barrel of oil spilled. These fines will range from a minimum of $1100 per barrel to up to $4300 per barrel. The amount of oil spilled will also be used in assessing the extent of natural resource damages. The 53,000-62,000 barrel per day figure far exceeds BP’s initial estimates of 1000-5000 barrels per day and much more closely resembles the so called “worst case” scenario cited by BP officials of 60,000 barrels per day.

If BP is found guilty of gross negligence, the fines for the oil spill will increase. For instance, for every 10,000 barrels of oil spilled per day at $4,300 per barrel, over the more than 80 days that oil spilled into the ocean, the fine would be increased by $3.5 billion. The total size of the spill will also affect the amount of damages BP would have to pay for the spill’s effect on natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

“BP bears the black eye of the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history,” said Markey. “It’s high time BP own up to the true size of this oil spill once and for all.”

Full text of the letter follows:

August 11, 2010

Mr. Lamar McKay
President and CEO,
BP America, Inc.
501 Westlake Park Boulevard
Houston, Texas, 70779

Dear Mr. McKay:

On August 2, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command released updated flow rate estimates for the amount of BP oil that flowed into the Gulf of Mexico prior to the initial capping of the Deepwater Horizon well on July 15, 2010. These estimates reflect the collaborative work and discussions of the National Incident Command’s Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG), led by United States Geological Survey Director Marcia McNutt, and a team of Department of Energy scientists and engineers, led by Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu.

According to the FRTG estimate, 53,000 barrels of oil per day were leaking from BP’s well immediately preceding its closure using the capping stack. However, at the beginning of the spill, 62,000 barrels per day were leaking from the well. Because the well flowed for 87 days, approximately 4.9 million barrels flowed into the gulf. The FRTG estimate has a plus or minus 10 percent uncertainty range.

As you know, BP is a participant in the Unified Command and assisted in the preparation of these estimates. BP has not publicly indicated disagreement with these estimates.

Under current law, BP will be assessed fines for each barrel of oil spilled. These fines will range from a minimum of $1100 per barrel to up to $4300 per barrel. The amount of oil spilled will also be used in assessing the extent of natural resource damages. The 53,000-62,000 barrel per day figure far exceeds BP’s initial estimates of 1,000-5,000 barrels per day and much more closely resembles the so called “worst case” scenario cited by BP officials of 60,000 barrels per day.

I am writing to ask whether BP will accept this more definitive FRTG estimate as the basis for its per barrel spill liability and for other legal purposes, including the assessment of natural resources damages, as well. As is evident, each per day change in the flow rate, when compiled over the 87 day life of the spill, may be worth billions of dollars to BP if in fact it is found guilty of gross negligence with regard to this spill. For instance, for every 10,000 barrels of oil spilled per day at $4,300 per barrel, over the more than 80 days that oil spilled into the ocean, the fine would be increased by $3.5 billion. The total size of the spill will also affect the amount of damages BP would have to pay for the spill’s effect on natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP’s official website: (http://www.bp.com/extendedsectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=40&contentId=7061813a) declares that:

“BP is doing everything we can to make this right. We continue to work to stop the flow of oil, clean up the environmental damage, and help make sure that people are compensated for their losses.”

A similar message has been conveyed through BP’s extensive advertising campaign relating to its Gulf spill response activities. In light of BP’s stated commitment to “make this right,” the American public deserves to know whether BP plans on accepting the federal government’s official flow-rate estimate for liability purposes or whether it plans on litigating this number and low-balling the amount of oil that actually flowed into the gulf. Accordingly it is incumbent upon BP to stipulate that it will accept the FRTG’s latest flow rate estimates when the government seeks to collect its fine and assess other damages caused by the Deepwater Horizon Macondo well blowout. We know that this has been the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history and it is high time for BP to legally “own up” to that fact as well.

Thank you very much for your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please have your staff contact mine.

Sincerely,
Edward J. Markey
Chairman
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Cc:
Honorable Henry Waxman, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce
Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member
Honorable Fred Upton, Ranking Member
Dr. Marcia McNutt, United States Geological Survey and Chair, Flow Rate Technical Committee

Briefing on aEURoeGreenland Ice Sheet: Global WarmingaEUR(TM)s Impacts on Arctic RegionaEUR?

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Select Committee to Examine Dramatic Sea Ice Event with Scientists and Experts

**VISUALS including Greenland satellite images and other recent data will be on display

August 9, 2010 – Last week an ice sheet covering 100 square miles broke off Greenland. This dramatic sea ice event follows the warmest six months on record and is the largest piece of Arctic ice to break free since 1962.

On Tuesday, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a briefing with scientists and experts who study the Arctic region to discuss this event and its relationship to climate change. The briefing, “The Greenland Ice Sheet: Global Warming’s Impacts on the Arctic Region,” will be held on Tuesday, August 10th, at 9:30 A.M. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.

WHAT: Select Committee Briefing, “The Greenland Ice Sheet: Global Warming’s Impacts on the Arctic Region”

WHEN: Tuesday, August 10th, at 9:30 A.M.

WHERE: Room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, Capitol Complex.

WHO:
Dr. Richard B. Alley, Professor of Geosciences, and Earth and Environmental Systems, The Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Robert Bindschadler, Senior Research Scientist at University of Maryland Baltimore County, who has 30 years of service with NASA
Dr. Andreas Muenchow, Professor of Physical Ocean Science and Engineering, University of Delaware

Markey: Giant Ice Sheet Breaks Off Greenland, Global Warming Deniers Should Call it Home

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

August 7, 2010 – An ice sheet covering 100 square miles has broken off Greenland. This giant ice island is more than four times the size of New York’s Manhattan Island and comes following the warmest six months on record. Today, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement:

“An iceberg four times the size of Manhattan has broken off Greenland, creating plenty of room for global warming deniers to start their own country.

“So far, 2010 has been the hottest year on record, and scientists agree arctic ice is a canary in a coal mine that provides clear warnings on climate.

“Last summer, the House passed landmark legislation to create clean energy jobs that cut carbon pollution. However, it’s still unclear how many giant blocks of ice it will take to break the block of Republican climate deniers in the US Senate who continue hold this critical clean energy and climate legislation hostage.”

FTC says Resellers of Toxic FEMA Trailers to Gulf Cleanup Workers Could Face Criminal Charges

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Lawmakers urge FTC, GSA and other law enforcement to aggressively investigate and monitor sale and use of contaminated trailers

August 6, 2010 – Today Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La), released a letter from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicating that resellers of the former FEMA trailers that were contaminated with the carcinogen formaldehyde may be subject to criminal penalties for failing to disclose the health risk to purchasers and by implying that the structures were appropriate to be used for housing.

According to the FTC, while civil penalties could not be levied, the Commission could take a variety of enforcement actions including equitable monetary relief, cease and desist orders, bans and disclosure remedies. However, in light of the nature of the violation and the obligations imposed on purchasers of the FEMA trailers at the time of their sale, the FTC said “criminal action would likely yield the strongest remedy for consumers” who have been victimized by the deceptive sale practices.

“Like a zombie from a bad horror film, FEMA’s toxic trailers just keep coming back to haunt the people of the Gulf coast,” said Markey. “We need to ensure that the appropriate law enforcement agencies are thoroughly and vigilantly looking into these sales so that no one is unwittingly and needlessly exposed to the formaldehyde in these trailers again.”

“The fumes from toxic FEMA trailers cause serious respiratory illnesses, especially for children and seniors, and no one should be living in them,” said Rep. Melancon. “Federal and local law enforcement must actively investigate any reports of trailers being sold for housing, to protect Louisiana families from breathing hazardous chemicals while they sleep.”

The FTC letter was in response to an inquiry from Reps. Markey and Melancon who have also questioned the General Services Administration (GSA) on their oversight of the resale of these trailers, the response from GSA has not been received. According to several cases now being investigated by the Inspector General’s office at GSA, companies that bought the trailers directly through GSA auction may have removed warning labels or otherwise not informed buyers that the trailers are not intended to be repurposed as homes. As a result several reports have indicated that these tainted trailers are being used to house some workers cleaning up oil from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

To read the response letter from the FTC, please click here

To read Reps. Markey and Melancon’s original letter to the FTC, please click here

Markey Releases FDA Seafood Response Indicating Low Chance of Dispersant-Contamination in the Gulf

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Questions remain on long-term effects on food chain and marine life

August 5, 2010 – Today Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, released a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicating that the agency determined that chemical dispersants used to combat the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have a low potential for bioaccumulation in seafood species and do not pose a significant public health risk through human consumption. Rep. Markey is still awaiting an FDA analysis responding to his inquiry regarding reports of arsenic and other toxic byproducts of the BP oil spill that may pose a greater risk of bioaccumulating in seafood meant for human consumption.

“This bit of good news is a great first step in restoring public confidence in the safety of seafood from the Gulf region,” said Rep. Markey. “However, many significant questions still remain on the long-term consequences that these dispersant chemicals will have on the marine food chain. Now that the oil has stopped flowing vigilance in monitoring must continue to ensure that tainted seafood never makes it to the dinner table.”

Response letter from the FDA
Chairman Markey's original letter to the FDA

Long concerned about health and environmental issues relating to the dispersants, Rep. Markey has written to the EPA, FDA and the Coast Guard questioning the use of unprecedented volumes of dispersants in the Gulf, as the chemicals had not undergone a thorough review of their toxicity or effects. After receipt of one of Markey’s first letters written on May 17th the EPA along with the Coast Guard directed BP to eliminate surface application of the chemicals except in “rare cases” for which exemptions had to be requested. Data released by Rep. Markey’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee staff just last week indicated that these “rare cases” occurred on a daily basis since the directive was issued.

On several occasions EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has also raised serious concerns about the unknown effects of dispersants, characterizing them as an “environmental tradeoff.” The most recent data released by EPA earlier this week indicates that while the chemicals do not appear to be acutely toxic, the long term effects these chemicals will have on the Gulf of Mexico are still unknown.

Just yesterday NOAA and the Department of the Interior jointly released a report indicating that only 8% of the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico was chemically dispersed. This data suggests that dispersants were highly ineffective, since every gallon of dispersant used only dispersed just over 9 gallons of oil. By contrast, the report said that 16% of the oil was naturally dispersed without the use of these chemicals.

“I remain concerned about the long-term consequences that these dispersants mixed with oil and other toxic materials will have on our waters and on our health.” said Rep. Markey. “Continued safety and oversight of the seafood in the Gulf will protect families while helping the regions fishing and tourism industries recover.”

Markey: Administration Report Suggests Progress in Cleaning up the Gulf, but Vigilance Still Required

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

August 4, 2010 - Today the National Incident Command released an interagency report estimating the amount and fate of the oil spilled out of BP's Deepwater Horizon leak.

In response, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House of Representatives, released the following statement:

“I applaud the efforts by federal, state and local governments who have worked with local fisherman and workers in the Gulf on an unprecedented response effort to capture, burn and skim oil following BP’s horrific oil spill. However, at least 50% of the oil from what is now the largest oil spill in history remains in the environment in some form. That is the equivalent of nine Exxon Valdez-sized spills and does not account for the methane that has also been released from this well.

“Families working in the Gulf’s imperiled fishing and tourism industry deserve nothing less than a 100% effort to ensure that both the environment and the economy fully recover from the damage caused by BP’s oil spill.

“We still have an environmental crime scene in the Gulf of Mexico, and all Americans, especially Gulf Coast residents, fully expect investigators to continue monitoring health and safety hazards in the months and years ahead so the region can fully recover.”

Markey: BP Must Finish the Job After Static Kill

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

August 4, 2010 - In response to reports today that the static kill operation on BP’s Macondo well was successful, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House of Representatives, released the following statement:

“I am pleased to hear that the static kill operation appears successful, but we’ve always known the final dance with BP’s calamitous well is a two step.

“Cementing this well permanently shut through the relief well must be the bottom line at the bottom of the ocean. I am pleased Admiral Thad Allan and Incident Command agree and continue to hold BP’s feet to the fire on this crucial step.

“Now BP must finish the job. They may consider this a ‘milestone,’ but families in the Gulf want BP to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to kill this well once and for all.”

Markey: New Flow Rate Shockingly Close to BPaEUR(TM)s Initial aEURoeWorst CaseaEUR? Scenario

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Documents released by Rep. Markey last week also show identical BP assumption made in early July

August 2, 2010 – Today the U.S. Scientific Team charged with determining the flow rate of oil gushing into the ocean from BP’s Deepwater Horizon well reported an updated estimate of the size of the spill. They narrowed the previous estimate of 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil per day to 53,000 barrels per day and calculated that the flow rate was as high as 62,000 barrels per day when the spill first began. The scientific team approximates that 4.9 million barrels of oil have been released from the well.

On April 28, BP officials had moved their public flow rate estimate from 1,000 barrels a day to 5,000. During a May 4th briefing to Members of Congress on the spill held by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), BP officials stated that a maximum estimated flow would be 60,000 barrels a day, with a mid-range estimate of 40,000 barrels a day in response to a question from Rep. Markey about the size of the worst-case flow rate.

“Today we learned that BP’s initial worst case scenario has been the reality since day one of this disaster,” said Rep. Markey, Chairman of Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House of Representatives. “Had BP owned up to the size and magnitude of this oil spill from the very beginning, the government and families in the Gulf would have been better prepared to respond to this tragedy.”

Since May, Chairman Markey has been pressuring BP to allow outside experts and scientists access to information on the size of the oil spill. Markey called for the release of high definition undersea video footage, which helped determine the size of the spill, and ensured it was made available to the public.

“It took over 100 days and the pressure of flow rate calculations by independent scientists using high-definition undersea video to tell the world what BP most likely suspected from the start,” said Markey.

Additionally, last week Rep. Markey released documents indicating that BP assumed a flow rate of 53,000 barrels per day as early as July 6 when calculating how much dispersant to apply.

http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0299#main_content

The flow rate of the well will have substantial financial implications for the company. Under current law, BP would have to pay a fine of at least $1,100 and up to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled, with the higher figure in the case of gross negligence being found against the company. So for every 10,000 barrels of oil spilled per day at $4,300 per barrel over the more than 80 days of oil spilled into the ocean, the fine would be more than $3.5 billion. The total size of the spill will also determine damages BP would have to pay for the spill’s effect on natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

“There is no joy in learning the true size of this horrific spill, but I hope that it will be a number that helps make families living and working in the Gulf coast whole once again,” said Markey.

Markey Analysis Shows Coast Guard Allowed BP, Spill Response Officials to Excessively Use Dispersants

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Coast Guard Rubber-Stamped Applications as BP Provided Vastly Different Numbers to Congress, Executive Branch

July 31, 2010 – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, today released a letter sent to National Incident Commander Thad Allen and documents revealing that the U.S. Coast Guard, tasked with limiting BP’s use of toxic dispersants during the Gulf oil spill disaster, repeatedly allowed the oil company to use excessive amounts of the chemical on the surface of the ocean.

These exemptions were granted on a daily basis despite a prior federal directive that the company cease that tactic to combat the spill except in “rare” circumstances. The exemptions were also extended to Houma Unified Command, an oil spill response center in Houma, La., which consists of U.S. Coast Guard and other personnel and reports to the Federal On Scene Coordinator.

In many cases, these applications appeared to be rubber stamped by the Coast Guard, including pre-approvals for weeks’ worth of unlimited use, as well as retroactive approvals for surface applications of dispersants for which BP failed to obtain prior permission. These actions by the Coast Guard appear to have largely undercut a directive it co-signed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that said that dispersant chemicals be used on the ocean’s surface only in “rare cases,” and only with advance approval.

Rep. Markey's letter, based on an analysis conducted by the Energy and Environment Subcommittee staff, further showed that by comparing the amounts BP reported using to Congress to the amounts contained in the company’s requests for exemptions from the ban on surface dispersants it submitted to the Coast Guard, that BP often exceeded its own requests, with little indication that it informed the Coast Guard or that the Coast Guard attempted to verify whether BP was shooting past the approved volumes.

“BP carpet bombed the ocean with these chemicals, and the Coast Guard allowed them to do it,” said Rep. Markey. Rep. Markey has authored numerous oversight letters to EPA, the Coast Guard and the FDA related to dispersant use, and has additionally introduced H.R. 5608, legislation that would require more extensive testing of these chemicals before they are used. “After we discovered how toxic these chemicals really are, they had no business being spread across the Gulf in this manner.”

On May 17, Rep. Markey wrote to the EPA raising concerns about the use of unprecedented volumes of dispersants in the Gulf, as the chemicals had not undergone a thorough review of their toxicity or effects. Following a rapid analysis by the EPA, on May 26 the agency, along with the Coast Guard, directed BP to completely eliminate surface application of the chemicals except in “rare cases” for which exemptions had to be requested.

Yet following that directive, Rep. Markey’s analysis shows that more than 74 daily exemption requests were sent to the Coast Guard by BP and Houma Unified Command, and all of them were approved by the Coast Guard, usually within the same day, and despite concerns raised by EPA that the exemptions were being approved on a pro forma rather than rare basis, and that these approvals were occurring without the specific data and justification required.

The analysis also found that the amounts of surface dispersants used that were reported by BP to Congress and the amounts reported to have been used that were contained in BP’s requests for approval by the Coast Guard also vary widely, bringing into question whether BP was being truthful about the total amount used, and whether the Coast Guard was conducting rigorous monitoring and oversight over the company’s use of the chemical.

For example, in one approval request, one of BP’s top executives, Doug Suttles, claimed that the maximum daily application of dispersants on the surface in the days preceding June 16, 2010 was 3,360 gallons on June 12. However, an examination of the dispersant totals BP provided to congressional staff in its daily “Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response Updates” indicates that on June 11, BP said it applied 14,305 gallons of the chemical on the surface; on June 13, 36,000 gallons; and on June 14, 10,706 gallons.

According to publicly disclosed amounts on DeepwaterHorizonResponse.com, more than 1.8 million gallons of toxic dispersants were used to break up the oil as it came out of the well, as well as after it reached the ocean surface. The validity of those numbers are now in question.

“Either BP was lying to Congress or to the Coast Guard about how much dispersants they were shooting onto the ocean,” said Rep. Markey. “These huge discrepancies also raise the question of whether the Coast Guard made sufficient efforts to verify the information BP provided in support of its requests, and whether it exercised appropriate oversight surrounding the use of these toxic chemicals.”

Chairman Markey’s July 30 letter to the Coast Guard is available HERE.

Chairman Markey’s June 24 letter to the Coast Guard is available HERE.

The Coast Guard’s July 15 letter to Chairman Markey is available herel.

House Passes Oil Spill Bill: Markey Safety, Whistleblower and Royalty Recovery Legislation -Recovering up to $53 Billion from Oil Companies

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

MARKEY: Oil Spill Bill Boosts Safety, Reduces Deficit

House Passes Markey Safety, Whistleblower and Royalty Recovery Legislation -Recovering up to $53 Billion from Oil Companies

July 30, 2010 – Today, by a vote of 209 to 193, the House of Representatives passed critical oil spill legislation that will protect families living and working in the Gulf Coast. The CLEAR ACT (H.R. 3534) implements policy measures co-authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), including strong new safety measures for oil drilling, and royalty recovery legislation that will cut the deficit by up to $53 billion. The House also passed the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act (H.R. 5851) co-authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) by a vote of 315 to 93.

“This bill will cut the deficit and stop oil companies from cutting corners on safety,” said Rep. Markey. “Families and businesses in the Gulf who have been suffering for over 100 days from BP’s oil spill disaster can take some comfort tonight knowing Congress has acted to protect them from future oil spills.”

The explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon took the lives of 11 workers and caused the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history. The oil spill has sidelined thousands of workers in the fishing industry and crippled tourism across the region.

“Congress has conducted an extensive investigation into this disaster, and the CLEAR Act corrects the fatal safety flaws that oil companies have allowed to occur,” said Markey. “My whistleblower legislation will give voice to workers who have the courage to stand against oil companies when they observe a dangerous situation.”

The legislation includes several key provisions authored by Rep. Markey, including:

Oil Revenue Recovery & Deficit Reduction:

The CLEAR ACT includes legislation authored by Chairman Markey to close royalty loopholes that have historically allowed oil companies to drill for free on public lands in the Gulf of Mexico. This legislation will recover up to $53 billion in lost tax revenue that will be directed toward reducing our national deficit.

Whistleblower Protection:

The Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act (H.R. 5851) which Chairman Markey co-authored with Rep. George Miller (D-CA). Currently there is no federal law protecting oil and gas workers if they are retaliated against after speaking out on workplace health and safety violations on drilling rigs like the Deepwater Horizon. H.R. 5851 is modeled after other modern whistleblower statutes. For more information on the legislation, please CLICK HERE.

Blowout Preventer Act:

The CLEAR ACT includes legislation to ensure new safety standards for offshore oil and gas drilling. The Energy and Commerce Committee conducted a vigorous investigation into the causes of the BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster. This investigation showed that the blowout preventer was riddled with problems, including a significant leak in a main hydraulic system that was improperly modified and not powerful enough to cut through joints in the drill pipe. Plus the “deadman switch” - the last line of defense - had a dead battery. Poor cementing and fatal decisions made by BP in the hours and minutes before the explosion have also been uncovered by the committee.

The Blowout Prevention Act – or BP Act – of 2010, sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman, Bart Stupak, and Markey was developed with bipartisan support in the Energy and Commerce Committee, passing by a unanimous 48-0 vote.

Markey Legislation to Recover Billions in Royalties from Oil Companies Included in House Package

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Other provisions co-authored by Markey on whistleblower protections, blowout preventer and well standards also included

July 28, 2010 – As the nation marks the 100th day of the BP oil spill, which has created the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, Congress is moving legislation this week to address the safety concerns resulting from the disaster. Several pieces of reform legislation authored or co-authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) have now been included in the House oil spill response legislation scheduled for floor consideration later this week.

And in an analysis released yesterday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found the House oil spill package, H.R. 3534, would reduce the federal deficit.

“This legislation will cut the federal deficit while preventing the oil industry from cutting corners when it comes to deepwater drilling safety,” said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass). “This legislation presents an easy choice between standing with BP and the other oil companies, or standing with American taxpayers and reducing our deficit.”

Rep. Markey was able to include the following key provisions in the House oil spill response legislation:

Oil Revenue Recovery & Deficit Reduction

Rep. Markey’s ‘Oil Revenue Recovery’ legislation ends the practice of drilling for free by oil companies, recovering up to of $53 billion in taxpayer money from lost oil royalties in the Gulf of Mexico. This money will be directed to pay for deficit reduction.

This legislation fixes a 15-year-old legislative flaw put in place by a Republican-controlled Congress in 1995. Because of an oil company court challenge to the 1995 Deep Water Royalty Relief Act authored by the then-Republican majority along with faulty leases offered by the Interior Department in 1998 and 1999, the Interior Department is currently being forced to refund more than $2.1 billion in royalty payments that oil companies had already made from these leases, including $240 million to BP.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has estimated that taxpayers could lose up to an additional $53 billion over the next 25 years as a result of royalty-free drilling when oil prices are high.

Rep. Markey has authored similar legislation to remedy this problem for several years, and these provisions have repeatedly passed the House of Representatives in 2006, 2007 and 2008 with bipartisan support.

Two weeks ago, Rep. Markey successfully offered his language as an amendment to the CLEAR ACT in the Natural Resources Committee. The legislation would offer the dozens of oil companies currently drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico a simple choice – they can continue to drill for free on public lands no matter how high oil prices climb, but if they do so, they will not be able to purchase new leases from the federal government.

Whistleblower Protection:

Rep. Markey is a co-author of the Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act (HR 5851) along with Rep. George Miller (D-CA). Currently there is no federal law protecting oil and gas workers if they are retaliated against after speaking out on workplace health and safety violations on drilling rigs, like the Deepwater Horizon, operating on the Outer Continental Shelf. Modeled after other modern whistleblower statutes, H.R. 5851 would:

Prohibit an employer from discriminating against an employee who reports to the employer, or government official they believed violated the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA);
Protect employees who report injuries or unsafe conditions on drilling rigs, refuse to work based on injury or impairment or a spill, or refuse to perform work in a manner that they believe violates the OCSLA;
Establish a process for an employee to appeal an employer’s retaliation by filing a complaint with the Secretary of Labor, and allowing a jury trial if the Secretary fails to act in a timely manner;
Make whistle blowers eligible for reinstatement, back pay and compensatory and consequential damages, and, where appropriate, exemplary damages;
Require employers to post a notice that explains employee rights and remedies under this Act and provide training to the employees of these rights.

Blowout Preventer Act:

The Energy and Commerce Committee conducted a vigorous investigation into the causes of the BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster. This investigation showed that the blowout preventer was riddled with problems, including a significant leak in a main hydraulic system that was improperly modified and not powerful enough to cut through joints in the drill pipe. Plus the “deadman switch” - the last line of defense - had a dead battery. Poor cementing and fatal decisions made by BP in the hours and minutes before the explosion have also been uncovered by the committee.

Legislation to ensure new safety standards for offshore oil and gas drilling have been designed to ensure a disaster like the BP Macondo well blowout will never happen again.

Strong safety requirements for blowout preventers and other well control systems;
Require oil company CEOs to certify the safety of each offshore well before drilling begins;
Third party certification required by independent safety evaluator;
Offshore oil and gas drilling in state waters must meet safety standards that are at least as stringent as those applicable to wells in federal waters.

BP Documents Show Company Assumed 53,000 Barrels Per Day Spill

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Could Better Determine BP’s Liability from Disaster

(July 27, 2010) – Buried in documents sent by BP to the Coast Guard is a pivotal number that sheds light on central questions relating to BP’s oil spill – BP’s assumption of the true flow rate of the oil from the Macondo well. In the documents, released today by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), BP makes a request to apply more dispersants, and says they “assume flow rate of 53,000” barrels of oil spilled per day. This is BP’s first admission of its kind that the spill could be so large, and falls on the upper end of the current range given by government scientists.

“These are pivotal documents, where the company admits in writing the true magnitude of this spill could be at least 53,000 barrels a day,” said Rep. Markey, who received the documents as part of his investigation into the disaster. “This is a far cry from the 1,000 barrels a day BP first claimed was the total rate of the spill, and is important evidence in the government’s case to hold BP financially accountable for their disaster.”

The documents can be found HERE and are also now publicly available at restorethegulf.com following their release to Rep. Markey. The dispersant requests were sent to the Coast Guard by Doug Suttles, BP’s Chief Operating Officer. Suttles has previously discussed the potential to collect 53,000 barrels a day during the previous containment cap operation, but this document shows the same number was used to calculate the proper ratio of dispersants the company would use.

The documents are dated July 6 and 11, 2010, when the previous, ill-fitting temporary cap was on the well. BP notes in one document that they would “calculate oil escaping by subtracting oil captured by containment system from 53,000 [barrels a day],” a further admission that they used the figure to calculate oil escaping from the well.

The flow rate of the well would have substantial financial implications for the company, which is reporting its quarterly earnings today. Under current law, BP would have to pay a fine of at least $1,100 and up to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled, with the higher figure in the case of gross negligence being found against the company. So for every 10,000 barrels of oil spilled per day at $4,300 per barrel over the more than 80 days of oil spilled into the ocean, the fine would be more than $3.5 billion.

The total size of the spill will also determine damages BP would have to pay for the spill’s effect on natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

The current estimate from the Flow Rate Technical Group, the government and independent scientists who have worked with video, pressure and other data to estimate the flow of oil from BP’s well, falls between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil spilled per day. More precise numbers are expected soon resulting from additional data collected by Department of Energy scientists as the well was being shut in with the new cap.

“In the case of BP’s financial liability and the flow rate of this spill, ambiguity is BP’s ally, and precision is the government’s,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “This document turns the tables on BP by exposing their own assumptions about the size of the spill.”

During the BP oil spill, Rep. Markey has pushed BP to provide better access to video and the spill site for independent scientists looking to measure the spill. Rep. Markey successfully pushed to make the Spillcam public, release high definition video, and held the first hearing on measuring the flow rate of the spill on May 19, 2010.

# # #

Markey: No Golden Parachute For Hayward Until Gulf Costs Paid

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

July 26, 2010 – In light of reports that Tony Hayward will leave as CEO of BP, and will receive a multi-million dollar severance package, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today demanded that BP not provide a golden parachute to Mr. Hayward until it had paid all of the costs resulting from the company’s spill.

“At a time when BP should be devoting every possible resource to ending the spill, cleaning up the Gulf and fully compensating the residents who have had their livelihoods impacted, I find it extremely troubling that BP’s board would consider providing such a large severance package to Mr. Hayward,” writes Rep. Markey to Carl-Henric Svanberg, Chairman of BP. “BP should be dedicating its resources to compensating the residents of the Gulf Coast who are the victims of this tragedy, not handing out multi-million dollar golden parachutes.”

BP has not yet fully funded the $20 billion escrow account set up to compensate Gulf of Mexico victims from the spill, and reports have indicated that BP has been slow in paying out claims.

The full letter can be found HERE.

Markey Statement on Reports of BP's Tony Hayward's Departure as CEO

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

July 25, 2010 - Following reports of BP CEO Tony Hayward's ouster as head of the company, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) issued the following statement:

“While it's now happy sailing for Tony Hayward, rough conditions will persist in the Gulf of Mexico for years to come because of his failed leadership.

“The new leaders of BP will have an uphill climb to correct the legacy left by Hayward, indelibly inked by the disaster in the Gulf.

“On Friday, I received yet another reminder of Hayward's aloof, uninformed leadership, when his own company corrected his Congressional testimony -- saying that, contrary to Hayward's assertion to Congress, the drilling mud used by the company during the failed top kill procedure contained toxic material.

“The only way BP can be considered anew is if its leadership team does everything it can to renew the Gulf and bring about a new era of safe oil exploration, governed by transparency and accountability.”

Markey, Capps: Contradicting Hayward Testimony, BP Admits Drilling Mud Is Toxic

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BP Provides Other Toxics Totals; Will Same Mud Formulation Be Used in “Bullhead Kill” and Future Oil Company Operations?

July 25, 2010 – Responding to questions from Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.) after BP CEO Tony Hayward’s congressional testimony in June, BP has now admitted that Hayward was wrong when he claimed that the drilling mud used by BP had no toxicity.

Tens of thousands of barrels of the drilling mud were used during the failed attempt to kill the well in late May, most of which likely escaped back into the ocean. During Hayward’s testimony on June 17, 2010 before the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Markey pushed the BP executive to disclose the ingredients of the drilling mud, which Rep. Markey noted had some of the same dangerous chemicals as antifreeze.

In response, Hayward said, “I believe all of the mud that had gone into the ocean is water-based mud with no toxicity whatsoever.” The full transcript of the hearing is available HERE (the specific exchange on this question can be found on pages 110-111)

However, in one answer delivered to Reps. Markey and Capps by BP late Friday, the company notes that Hayward erred in his testimony, and that the mud does contain ethylene glycol (a highly toxic chemical used in anti-freeze), as well as caustic soda (a highly corrosive chemical commonly known as lye).

The question remains whether the same formulation of mud will be used in the possible “bullhead kill” as well as during the relief well operations. If these operations go as planned, little or no drilling mud should escape into the ocean. However, the two Representatives wondered whether drilling mud containing toxic chemicals is used in a widespread manner by the oil and gas industry.

“Tens of thousands of barrels of toxic drilling mud were shot into the ocean during BP’s failed top kill attempt,” said Rep. Markey. “Do all drilling activities involve the use of highly toxic formulations? If so, how many tens of thousands of barrels more may have been sent into our waters or onshore wells in even the most standard of operations?”

“Time and time again, BP has failed to disclose critical data and information that is essential to our ability to track the long term effects of this spill. The bill I introduced with Mr. Markey to give subpoena power to the independent commission investigating the spill passed the House nearly unanimously but continues to languish in the Senate. This is yet another reason for Senate Republicans to grant the commission this critical tool,” said Rep. Capps.

The full response from BP is available here.

Along with the response on toxic drilling mud (question 3), the response from BP includes information about the volumes of methanol (a highly toxic chemical) used in well operations, and answers to questions on methane and air quality measurements and worker chemical exposures, among other issues.

Markey Releases BP Storm Response Information

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Original BP Gulf Response Plan Didn’t Mention Hurricanes, Tropical Storms

July 22, 2010 – As a tropical storm threatens to significantly interrupt operations at the BP spill site, perhaps delaying final resolution of the spill by two weeks, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released information provided to him by BP on their recently-updated storm response plans. Rep. Markey asked for the information following his discovery that BP’s original Gulf of Mexico spill response plan did not mention the words “hurricane” or “tropical storm.” Yet in the response to Rep. Markey, BP insists it “always had a hurricane plan in place.”

“While BP asserts that they were prepared for this kind of weather event, it was only recently that they applied a plan to catastrophic spills,” said Rep. Markey. “It’s this same ad hoc attitude that has persisted throughout BP’s oil spill disaster.”

BP’s response to Rep. Markey, which can be found HERE, follows a letter of inquiry sent by Rep. Markey on June 30, 2010. That original letter, including information on BP’s lack of severe storm mentions in their original Gulf plan, can be found HERE.

These answers on BP’s severe storm contingency plan follow yesterday’s announcement by the other four major oil companies to assemble a rapid-response system to deal with catastrophic spills.

Markey: Proposed Oil Cos. Containment System Just One Tool in Long-overdue Tool Kit

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Companies Must Also Invest in Prevention, Response, and Cleanup Technologies, Says Chairman

July 21, 2010 – After a House Energy and Commerce Committee investigation exposed the inadequacy of the major oil companies’ Gulf of Mexico oil spill response plans, four of the top five oil companies today announced they would create a new containment system for future blowouts. The previous plans from the four companies—ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and ConocoPhillips—were written by the same subcontractor, were 90 percent identical, and included phone numbers for long-deceased experts and mentioned the need to evacuate walruses from the Gulf of Mexico.

At a hearing before the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the heads of the four companies, and BP, admitted the response plans were an “embarrassment.” Following that hearing, Reps. Markey, Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) wrote to the companies demanding that they produce new, effective response plans for a spill. That letter can be found HERE.

“This is only one possible tool in what must be a more robust tool kit for oil companies to respond to spills,” said Rep. Markey. “This could be a positive step, but it cannot be the industry’s last.”

“While this proposal’s response time could be quicker than this spill, the proposal these companies are submitting is essentially the current BP cap system and plan for 100 percent collection of oil,” continued Rep. Markey. “This current, ad hoc system erected by BP cannot and should not be the final proposal by these companies. While this could be a rapidly-deployed system, the oil companies must do better than BP’s current apparatus with a fresh coat of paint. The oil companies must also invest more in technologies that will prevent fatal blowouts in the first place.”

The House today passed two bills that would push for better oil spill response and safety technologies. The first – H.R. 2693, the Oil Pollution Research and Development Program Reauthorization – will strengthen research, development, and demonstration of innovative tools, methods, and technologies for oil spill cleanup. The second – H.R. 5716, the Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Program – will launch a new R&D effort in new technologies to make deepwater drilling safer and prevent future oil spill disasters.

Markey Expresses Concerns on aEURoeBullhead KillaEUR?

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Pressure Readings, Well Integrity Still Worrisome Says Chairman; Sends Letter to BP, Thad Allen

July 20, 2010 – With the possibility of a new well-killing strategy put on the table by BP, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today asked BP and Admiral Thad Allen about the risks of the procedure, and whether it has been authorized yet by Unified Command. In the letter, Rep. Markey notes that questions remain about the integrity of the well, leaks from the cap, and low pressure readings during the current cap test.

“We all want a quick resolution to this disaster, but we must be assured that proposed solutions will not make the disaster any worse,” writes Rep. Markey in the letter. Rep. Markey is chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “It is critical that we understand the implications of a bullhead kill attempt under the various scenarios that may be operating in the well.”

Rep. Markey notes that the same lower-than-expected pressures exerted by the oil and gas during this current testing phase that have provided the potential opportunity for this new well-killing strategy “is also at the center of an ongoing scientific assessment regarding well integrity.”

Rep. Markey also continued his calls for a better measurement of the flow rate from the well, if the opportunity presents itself, through a 100 percent collection method with ships at the surface. In the letter, Rep. Markey asks if this “bullhead kill” would kill off any chance at performing this test.

Rep. Markey asked Ken Salazar, the Secretary of the Interior Department, about the “bullhead kill” today at a hearing Rep. Markey chaired. Sec. Salazar stated that there were concerns that would have to be addressed before the procedure was given the green light by the Obama administration.

A full copy of the letter is available HERE and the questions sent to BP America CEO Lamar McKay and Admiral Allen are listed below:

If the well integrity has been compromised, what are the potential implications of attempting a bullhead kill procedure?
What additional risks are undertaken with the bullhead kill compared to the alternatives (i.e., a return to containment using production platforms at the sea surface or a continuation of the integrity test conditions)?
Under what conditions (e.g., pressure threshold) would the choke and kill lines used in the bullhead kill be at risk of damage?
Could forcing the hydrocarbons back into the reservoir through the bullhead kill procedure cause damage that could make the bottom kill more challenging or exacerbate any seeps that may be present?
If hydrocarbons are flowing in the annulus, will this decrease the chances of the success of the bullhead kill?
Would a bullhead kill attempt slow progress on the bottom kill in preparation?
Under what conditions and on what timeline will a bullhead kill be authorized by Unified Command and pursued by BP? Once initiated, how long is the bullhead kill anticipated to take?
Would the bullhead kill also kill off any chance of conducting a 100 percent collection strategy?

Markey to Allen: Will BP's Shut-In of Macondo Well Also Shut off Data Needed to Assure BP Pays for It's Negligence?

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

July 18, 2010 -Representative Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen seeking more information on the testing of the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo well and on the status of any potential decision to keep the well closed permanently. Rep. Markey noted that the shutting of the well would potentially end the possibility of doing any final analysis of the flow rate of the well by collecting 100 percent of the oil into ships on the surface. BP will have to pay a fine to the U.S. government for every barrel of oil spilled per day, up to $4,300 per barrel in the case of gross negligence.

Today, BP’s chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said: "We're not seeing any problems, at this point, any issues with the shut-in," and that because of that, Suttles said, "we'll continue to leave the well shut in." Rep. Markey wrote to Allen to seek clarification regarding this situation after Allen said yesterday, that once the test is complete, "we will immediately return to containment."

"By shutting in this well, we could be shutting off our last best chance to determine what BP could pay in government fines," said Rep. Markey.

"If it is necessary to again allow the well to flow, either because a decision to keep it shut in indefinitely is unsound, or in order to conduct the relief well ‘bottom kill’ then there would be no reason at that point for not taking the opportunity to conduct a 100 percent hydrocarbon collection test," writes Rep. Markey to Admiral Allen.

"It is imperative that we understand your current plans and be able to assess the ramifications of different options at this point," Rep. Markey wrote to Allen. " I am also concerned, as I know you are, that continuing to keep the well fully shut in, could pose risks of additional problems with well integrity, an issue that I have raised with both you and BP in separate letters over the past few weeks."

On Wednesday, Rep. Markey, the chairman the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, wrote to BP asking them for their commitment to conduct a full flow rate test, once an oil collection system was in place that could collect 100 percent of the hydrocarbons flowing from the well.

"If the well remains fully shut in until the relief well is completed, we may never have a fully accurate determination of the flow rate from this well. If so, BP -- which has consistently underestimated the flow rate -- might evade billions of dollars of fines," continues Rep. Markey in the letter.

In the letter, Rep. Markey asked Admiral Allen to respond to the following questions:

Has a decision been made to continue to shut in the well after the integrity test is complete? If so, did you make that decision or concur in it? Do the pressure readings to date indicate that this is the preferred approach?
If a decision is not made to shut in the well, and a collection strategy is put in place, when will sufficient capacity and capability be available to collect 100 percent of the oil and methane?
If a 100 percent hydrocarbon collection capacity is installed, will a 100 percent flow rate test be conducted at the earliest possible point in order to determine the true flow rate from this well as of July, 2010? If not, how will you be able to determine with any precision the actual amount of oil that has been released from the well, so that the government can determine BP’s potential legal liability for the environmental damage it has caused?
How will different collection and containment strategies affect the release of oil and methane into the ocean? Will installation of collection capacity necessarily require some release of oil and methane into the ocean, as Mr Suttles indicated? If so, how much? Will the relief well bottom kill necessarily require release of hydrocarbons into the ocean, even if the well remains shut in up to that point?
Is it possible to design an oil collection strategy (as opposed to a complete shut in) in which no more oil or methane is released into the ocean?
If collection of 100 percent of the hydrocarbons becomes possible in such way as to also prevent releases of hydrocarbons into the ocean, could that be a preferable strategy until the relief well is complete, since it would both relieve well pressure and contain hydrocarbons?

Hottest Half Year on Record, Foretells More Climate Change Impacts

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

As global temperatures reach new highs, the National Academies warn of severe impacts

July 16, 2010 – Last month was the hottest June on record and completed the hottest first half of a year dating back to 1880. The record-breaking temperatures were reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). All of the years since 2001 have been in the top 10 hottest and this latest temperature check shows that between increased greenhouse gases and the tail end of El Nino, 2010 will be another scorcher.

“The only person in America not running from the heat this summer is LeBron James,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). “The record breaking temperature is another warning siren that should serve as a wake up call to Congress to take action to reduce carbon pollution and add clean energy jobs so we can mitigate the impacts of climate change.”

Meanwhile, Arctic sea ice has continued its rapid decline, driving polar bears closer to extinction and threatening other Arctic wildlife. Arctic sea ice extent in June was the lowest since records began in 1979, according to NOAA. That’s now the 19th straight June with below average ice.

The record-breaking temperatures come as the National Academies release their latest assessment of global warming today. The study finds that for each degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) of global warming, there will be approximately a 25% decline in the extent of Arctic sea ice in September, a 5 – 15% reduction in the yields of corn and other food crops, and up to a 2 to 4 fold increase in the area damaged by wildfire in areas of western North America.

The report concludes that these impacts can be mitigated with significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The report makes clear that the more we use clean sources of energy that produce less carbon pollution, the healthier the planet.

Markey to BP: After Well Shut-in Tests Complete, Measure Full Flow

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

With 100% Containment Possible, Total Measurement Vital, Says Chairman; Pressure Measurements from Current Tests Will Provide Additional Flow Data

July 15, 2010 – After several delays in the process to test the new cap system for the BP oil spill, the procedure has begun to see if the cap can completely shut in the well. When BP resumes collection of the oil after the tests, there will be yet another opportunity to more precisely measure the full flow of the oil.

When that collection resumes, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today called upon BP yet again to conduct a full accounting of the flow rate of the oil well to determine the size of the spill. Rep. Markey demanded such an action from BP in a letter sent to Lamar McKay, CEO of BP America.

During the current shutting of the well, pressure tests will also provide data to determine the size and magnitude of the oil and gas flow.

“In the event that additional oil collection should prove necessary, BP must collect and measure 100 percent of the hydrocarbons flowing from the well so that we can determine the actual flow rate once and for all,” writes Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“I am concerned that without such a monitored collection effort, which must be conducted under supervision of the Flow Rate Technical Group, we may never be able to provide a definitive answer to the question of how much oil has actually been released. Although there have been numerous estimates and projections for flow rate, nothing will be more conclusive than actual collection of 100 percent of the oil and methane that is now flowing from the well,” continues Rep. Markey.

Currently, the Flow Rate Technical Group estimates the flow rate to be somewhere in a wide range between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels per day. More precise measurements would allow the federal government to have a more accurate and realistic picture of the amount of oil that has flowed from the well since it blew out in April. BP could be fined up to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled, in the case of gross negligence. That means an error of just 10,000 barrels a day in the final assessment of the spill could result in a difference of $3.6 billion in fines.

While the well may be shut in for several days to conduct pressure tests, it is likely that BP will release the well again and restart containment efforts, in part to assess the testing of the shut-in system.

With several containment ships now in place, including the Helix, the Q4000 and others, BP has claimed it would eventually be able to collect up to 80,000 barrels of oil per day, or 20,000 barrels per day more than the high end estimate from the Flow Rate Technical Group. Therefore, the potential for 100 percent collection and measurement should be feasible, although questions remain on when this full capacity would be available. Today Admiral Allen said that full containment capacity could be reached by July 24th.

In the letter, Rep. Markey states that “if BP determines that the appropriate path is to fully shut in the well, until the relief well is completed, then we would not want to delay such a process in any way.”

Below are the questions Rep. Markey asks in the letter, which is available HERE:

In the event that BP does not shut in the well completely, will BP agree to collect, under the supervision of the Flow Rate Technical Group, the full volume of oil and methane being released from the well for a period of time sufficient to make a reliable determination of the 24 hour flow rate? If not, why not?
Is the three ram capping stack exerting backpressure on the well? If so, please provide the pressure readings necessary to determine the full unimpeded flow rate.
Does BP at present have in place at the surface sufficient collection capability to collect 100 percent of the oil from the well and to measure and determine the volume of that oil?
If not, what is the current collection capacity and when will sufficient collection capacity be available?

Markey Amendment to Recover Billions in Royalties from BP, Oil Companies in Gulf Passes Committee

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Taxpayers Could Lose Up to $53 Billion Without Markey Legislation; Recovered Funds Fully Directed to Deficit Reduction

July 14, 2010 – Legislation authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) to recover upwards of $53 billion in lost oil drilling royalties in the Gulf of Mexico passed the Natural Resources Committee today, putting the legislation on a path towards fixing a 15-year-old legislative flaw. The recovered money would go directly to deficit reduction efforts.

“Instead of drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico, we will finally drill for deficit dollars from these profit-rich companies,” said Rep. Markey. “This was an easy choice between standing with BP and the other oil companies that are drilling for free, or standing with American taxpayers and reducing our deficit. My colleagues chose today to stand with the American people.”

The amendment, which passed by a voice vote, would offer the dozens of oil companies currently drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico a simple choice – they can continue to drill for free on public lands no matter how high oil prices climb, but if they do so, they will not be able to purchase new leases from the federal government.

Because of an oil company court challenge to the 1995 Deep Water Royalty Relief Act authored by the then-Republican majority along with faulty leases offered by the Interior Department in 1998 and 1999, the Interior Department is currently being forced to refund more than $2.1 billion in royalty payments that oil companies had already made from these leases, including $240 million to BP. In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has estimated that taxpayers could lose an additional $53 billion over the next 25 years as a result of royalty-free drilling when oil prices are high.

Similar legislation has repeatedly passed the House of Representatives in 2006, 2007 and 2008 with bipartisan support.

Markey: BP Stonewalling on Wellbore Integrity, Sea Floor Leaks

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

With Pressure Tests Delayed, Chairman Renews Call for Information on Potential Hazards

July 14, 2010 – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today renewed his request to BP to release information on the integrity of the wellbore and sea floor leaks, especially in light of the delayed attempt to conduct pressure tests on the new containment cap system for the BP Macondo well. These efforts were delayed, at least in part, because of the need to review seismic data -- which could provide information about the integrity of the wellbore -- from around the well site.

Rep. Markey had originally requested this information on June 23rd, several weeks prior to this test, and has still not received any answers which might shed light on the current potential path of shutting in the well using the new cap system as well as with challenges that could be encountered as BP attempts to permanently stop the flow of oil and gas using a relief well. Rep. Markey also sent a letter to Thad Allen asking for information provided to Incident Command on these matters.

“Everyone is hoping for a successful outcome for this capping system, and for the relief wells,” said Rep. Markey. “But given BP’s bad track record on all of its efforts thus far, all information about the risks of these tactics must be provided to Congress and to the public.”

While BP told Rep. Markey’s staff that this information would eventually be provided, it has already been made available to executive branch staff, and is easily obtained.

“This information is available. Yet BP would rather stonewall than provide information on the potential hazards lurking in the rock formations around the well, and other risks,” said Rep. Markey.

Rep. Markey asks BP for answers to several questions from his June letter, all of which potentially relate to the current situation occurring at the well site as well as the future relief well efforts.

In the letter sent today, available HERE, Rep. Markey writes:

“Question 3 of my June 23rd letter asked BP for information needed to better understand what is known about the condition of the wellbore and about reports of sea floor leaks. It asks the following:

‘Please provide documents related to the condition of the wellbore.

Has BP attempted to determine whether the casing inside the wellbore has been damaged and if so, what were the results? Please provide all measurements, images, and other documents related to the condition of the wellbore, as well as any future plans for such measurements going forward.
Has BP confirmed or attempted to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons leaking from anywhere other than the containment cap? If so, what were the results? Please provide all related documents.
Has BP surveyed the vicinity of the well to look for any leaks from the sea floor? If so, what area was surveyed? Please provide all measurements, images, and other documents related to any survey(s) to identify hydrocarbon leakage from the sea floor. If no survey has been performed, why not?’”

Rep. Markey’s letter to Thad Allen, which asks for information provided to Incident Command on these questions, is available HERE.

Markey Asks FDA for Arsenic, Oil Monitoring Information

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Toxic Compounds Could Flow Through Food Chain Long After Oil Stops Flowing

July 13, 2010 – Even as BP attempts to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf with a new containment strategy, concerns are growing that oil and other toxic compounds like arsenic could continue to flow through the marine and human food chain for months or longer. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today asked the Food and Drug Administration to answer questions on the effects the BP oil spill might have on the food chain, including new concerns that arsenic could be infiltrating the marine ecosystem and food chain in the Gulf of Mexico. Rep. Markey also asks whether FDA is tracking the possibility that highly mobile fish that have been contaminated are currently being caught outside areas closed to fishing.

“I am concerned that the mixture of oil, dispersants, arsenic and other toxic compounds are having effects on seafood that may not be detectable for months,” writes Rep. Markey in the letter to FDA Commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg. Rep. Markey chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is leading the congressional investigation into the BP oil spill.

The letter can be found HERE.

Researchers have uncovered droplets of oil inside crab larvae harvested from the Gulf of Mexico, which Rep. Markey writes is “particularly disconcerting because these larvae are a source of food for numerous aquatic species and this is therefore the first sign that hydrocarbons have entered into the food web.” The invasion of oil into the base level of the Gulf food chain means that, “despite fishery closures in areas that are known to be contaminated by oil, contamination could still be spreading into the human food chain as predators eat oil-tainted species, and then travel to areas that are not themselves closed to fishing,” Rep. Markey writes.

Another concern is arsenic. Arsenic is present in both seawater and in oil. Under normal circumstance, minerals at the ocean floor attract arsenic, burying it safely underground. Rep. Markey notes that a recent report suggests that oil, in addition to adding its own levels of arsenic to the Gulf, provides a potential barrier to this natural arsenic filtering system. “Thus the effect of the oil is two-fold, increasing the amount of arsenic present and clogging the natural mechanism the ocean uses to filter out the toxic compound,” writes Rep. Markey.

Rep. Markey asks FDA to explain their monitoring systems for these challenges, and what federal standards are currently in place for how much arsenic can be present in seafood to be consumed by humans. Rep. Markey also asks the FDA to respond to his May 25th letter to the agency, which has gone unanswered. That letter asked FDA about dispersants entering the food chain.

Markey Statement on New Deepwater Exploration Moratorium

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

July 12, 2010 – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement on the new moratorium on deepwater oil and gas exploration issued by the Obama administration today. Rep. Markey is chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

“This moratorium will reduce oil spill risk while the Gulf will continue to produce oil. As new laws and safety measures are put into place on these few dozen rigs, 97 percent of the manned rigs in the Gulf will still be allowed to work.

“When every single resource available is being deployed to combat this one spill, what would we do if there were another? The only thing worse than one rig at the bottom of the Gulf would be two.

“Before these few dozen rigs can be pushed back into service, we need to know that it is safe, and that the oil companies finally take their response responsibilities seriously. Until then, we must first compensate the workers from these rigs and allow new safety measures to be put into place.”

Markey Queries BP on Discrepancies in Relief Well Dates, Worst-Case Scenario Figures

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Relief Well Application Says July 15th Completion Date, Changes Worst-Case Scenario for Potential Spill

July 8, 2010 – Following today’s assertion by BP that they could complete the relief well within the next few weeks, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) asked for clarification from the company on that potential date, due to discrepancies in statements to the public and to the government on that plan. While BP had previously been insisting that the relief well would not be done until August, BP’s relief well application submitted to the Minerals and Management Service lists a finishing date of July 15th for the well.

July 27th is the date BP will submit financial earning statements for the second quarter of this year and speak with investors about the company’s health. Even BP’s Bob Dudley called this July 27th date “unlikely” due to variables like the weather.

“While everyone wants the quickest possible end to this disaster, we don’t need rose-colored scenarios, but realistic estimates on when this spill will finally be over,” said Rep. Markey.

In a letter sent today to BP America CEO Lamar McKay, Rep. Markey also asks BP for details on the worst-case spill scenarios included in the relief well application. The original exploration plan for the Macondo well indicated that a worst-case spill scenario would be 162,000 barrels per day (bpd). The initial April 24th, 2010 exploration plan for the relief wells also included the 162,000 bpd worst-case scenario. It was then amended on April 27th, 2010, increasing to 240,000 bpd, just 10,000 bpd below BP’s regional response plan scenario of 250,000 bpd.

“BP’s ever-changing numbers on the potential worst-case scenarios bring into question the validity of these numbers, and which one should be seen as the best estimate of the worst-case spill scenario,” writes Rep. Markey in the letter.

The relief well application also includes language from the original response plan for the Macondo well claiming that, with a spill, “due to the distance to shore (48 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected.”

“This is clearly not the experience in the aftermath of the original Macondo well blowout. Why have you used the same language for the impact of a spill from the relief wells despite the experience of the spill from the original well?” asks Rep. Markey in the letter.

The full letter can be found HERE.

The documents referenced in Rep. Markey’s letter:

BP’s Initial Exploration Plan, March 2009 (worst-case scenario pg 28; “no impacts” statement pg 44)

BP’s Supplemental Exploration Plan and revisions (for relief wells), April 2010 (drill finish date, pg 18; original worst-case scenario 162,000 bpd, pg 38; revised worst-case scenario 240,000 bpd, pg 10)

BP’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Oil Spill Response Plan, June 2009 (Worst-case scenario, pg 508)

Markey, Melancon Push GSA for Answers on Toxic Trailers

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Workers Cleaning Oil By Day, Inhaling Formaldehyde By Night

July 1, 2010 – Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Charlie Melancon (D-La.) today wrote the U.S. General Services Administration asking for answers on the trailers that are being used to house some workers cleaning up the oil from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The trailers, originally provided to Gulf residents following Hurricane Katrina, were found to have unhealthy levels of formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen. The story was first reported in The New York Times.

“There are oil spill workers who are cleaning up toxic oil by day and then inhaling carcinogenic fumes by night, sometimes with their families,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “These toxic trailers are like a recurring nightmare for the people of the Gulf.”

“First hurricane survivors were exposed to hazardous fumes in these FEMA trailers, and now – five years later – oil disaster workers are facing the same threat from the exact same trailers,” said Rep. Melancon. “We want to know why these trailers are still being used as housing, despite the many warnings and safeguards that have been put in place to prevent this situation. Workers along the Gulf Coast face enough dangers in the oil spill clean-up, without unknowingly being exposed to another danger when they come home at night.”

In the letter, Reps. Markey and Melancon ask the GSA to explain how these trailers, which were never intended to be used as homes ever again, ended up being used for exactly that purpose. The Congressmen ask for details on whether proper procedures were followed when these trailers were sold, and what efforts are being taken to look into the matter.

The full letter can be found HERE.

Markey Statement on Dr. Mann Exoneration

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In response to the report released by Pennsylvania State University regarding the work of climate scientist Michael Mann, Rep. Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement:

Once again Dr. Mann and his scientific work on climate change have been vindicated.

The continued attacks on his work is a desperate attempt by fossil fuel interests and skeptics to cast doubt on one piece climate science while ignoring the vast body of work that shows the dangerous build up of carbon pollution from human activity.

This exoneration follows on the heals of the UK British House of Commons own review of the emails taken from climate scientists at the University of East Anglia. They were also cleared, and the scientific evidence declared sound.

The Earth is not flat, man did land on the moon and climate change is real. The longer policy makers delay action -- hiding behind witch hunts and skeptic charades -- our nations will continue to fall behind countries like China and Germany in the race for clean energy and climate solutions that create jobs.

The Select Committee recently held two hearings on climate science:
The Foundation of Climate Science
Climate Science in the Political Arena

Markey: No Mention of 'Hurricane' in BP Response Plans

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

As Hurricane Alex Barrels Through Gulf, Chairman Queries BP on Contingency Plans

June 30, 2010 - As Hurricane Alex moves through the Gulf of Mexico today, disrupting spill response operations, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) revealed that BP makes zero mentions of the words “hurricane” or “ tropical storm” in its response plan to a Gulf spill. Following this latest revelation highlighting BP’s unpreparedness for disasters, Rep. Markey asked BP to explain their storm contingency plans in full.

“The BP plan had walruses in the Gulf, but no hurricanes,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Walruses haven't been in the Gulf in a few million years, while a hurricane is just a few hundred miles from the spill site right now. This is yet another example of BP serial complacency.”

At an Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing on June 15th, Chairman Markey and others revealed that the major oil companies had response plans that were 90 percent identical, and included references to walruses in the Gulf of Mexico, and emergency contact information for long-deceased experts. The CEOs of the major oil companies testifying admitted that their response plans contained significant flaws, calling them an “embarrassment.”

The BP response plan uses the word “weather” in several instances, but never does so in an analysis of extreme weather that could markedly affect response capabilities.

Questions posed to BP America CEO Lamar McKay by Chairman Markey today in a letter are included below:

What is BP’s plan for spill response in the event that a tropical storm or hurricane passes over the overall spill area? Does BP have any such a plan or plans for increasing severity of hurricanes? Or does BP plan on simply “playing it by ear” up to the point at which a full evacuation is required and all spill response operations cease?
What does BP expect will be the effects of a tropical storm or hurricane on the damage the oil spill will cause to the environment? How could a storm change the impact of oil in the open ocean and the coast?
What is BP doing to prepare for disruption of oil clean up activities due to the impacts of a storm in the Gulf of Mexico? How could a storm impact the clean up of the oil?
Does BP have a plan for returning to spill response activities after a tropical storm or hurricane has passed over the spill area? If a hurricane passes over the spill area and spreads oil over large areas of the gulf coast, does BP have a plan for dealing with the combination of oil and general hurricane damage?
Last week I asked for information regarding the factors that could lead to delay or disruption of the installation of a better fitting cap. Given reports that Hurricane Alex could delay installation of the cap by one week, please indicate the amount of time delay that you would expect to result from a hurricane or tropical storm passing over the accident site.
Similarly, how would a tropical storm or hurricane affect the drilling of the relief wells? As I understand it, each time a full evacuation of the drilling rigs occurs, 14 days of delay will result. Is this accurate and was this possibility factored into the projected mid- August completion date for the relief wells?

The full letter can be found HERE.

BP’s response plan can be found HERE.

Waxman, Markey, Stupak Question Oil Companies on Spill Response Plans

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

June 28, 2010 — Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) sent letters to the CEOs of the ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell, and Chevron oil companies, requesting more information on the companies’ oil spill response plans.

As part of its investigation into the BP oil spill, the Committee on Energy and Commerce revealed that the major oil companies had response plans that were practically identical, and included references to walruses in the Gulf of Mexico and emergency contact information for long-deceased experts.

At a hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment earlier this month, the CEOs of the companies admitted that their response plans contained significant flaws, calling them an “embarrassment.”

“Each of the oil companies’ oil spill response plans are practically identical to the tragically flawed BP oil spill response plan,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “These oil spill response plans for the Gulf of Mexico even included references to protecting walruses and other animals that don’t inhabit the Gulf and listed a deceased scientist as an emergency resource. You and other witnesses agreed that these flaws were ‘embarrassing.’ No oil company appears to be better prepared for a disastrous oil spill than BP was.”

In the letter, the chairmen ask the companies to respond to the following questions by Friday, July 2, 2010:

Is your company’s oil spill response plan for the Gulf of Mexico adequate to protect the Gulf region from the consequences of a subsea blowout similar to the blowout at the Macondo well? If so, please explain how this conclusion is reached.
Each of the five oil companies that testified on June 15, 2010, relied upon the Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) and its equipment to respond to potential oil spills. The MSRC is now using its equipment to respond to the BP oil spill. Are there other resources and equipment available to your company in the event of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that are not currently being used to respond to the BP spill?
Many resources that had been held in reserve for spills elsewhere in the country, such as the west coast and Alaska, have been transported for use in the Gulf of Mexico. Are there other resources and equipment available to your company in the event of an oil spill outside of the Gulf of Mexico that are not currently being used to respond to the BP spill?
Do you plan to revise your oil spill response plan? If so, when will this revision be completed?

The full text of the letters can be found here.

Markey Introduces Oil Spill aEURoeSOSaEUR? Bill

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Legislation would divert big oil subsidies to scientists, in order to improve spill prevention and response

June 25, 2010 - Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced the “Stop Oil Spills Act,” a bill to fund research into new oil spill prevention and response technologies.

Following BP CEO Tony Hayward’s admission that his company did not have a “tool-kit” to respond to a sizeable spill from a deep-water well, Markey introduced the bill to create a research program to develop 21st century oil safety and spill response technologies.

“As the big oil companies have continued to push the limits to drill ultra-deep, it has become painfully clear that they have not kept pace with technology needed to make the drilling ultra-safe and to have any potential cleanup response be ultra-fast,” said Markey, the Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

“This legislation would divert money from Big Oil subsidies to scientists and spill response experts, to ensure that our country’s best and brightest minds can develop the technology that is sorely lacking when it comes to oil spill prevention and response.”

The SOS Act will not increase costs to taxpayers. The bill is paid for by redirecting $50 million per year in oil and gas royalty payments that are now being used to subsidize industry development of deepwater drilling technologies, something that industry has the resources and incentives to perform on its own. The bill redirects those funds to a Department of Energy grant program to develop next-generation technologies to prevent or stop offshore drilling spills.

This new program will help to ensure that we avoid future offshore well blowouts like the one that led to the current disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, so that in the event of a blowout, that we have the right tools on hand to stop the spill quickly and effectively.

The bill requires the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Interior, within 6 months to establish a program to award support for the development, demonstration, and commercialization of innovative technologies to prevent, stop, or capture large-scale accidental discharges of oil or other hydrocarbons from offshore oil and gas drilling operations, including deep-water and ultra-deepwater operations.

Full text of the bill is available online, CLICK HERE.

Markey Asks BP for Details, Video of Cap Accident

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Also Seeks Safety Protection Information, Timeline for New Cap Installation, Updated Performance of Current Cap

(June 24, 2010) – Following an accident yesterday that caused the containment cap over the BP oil spill to be removed, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today asked for video and details from the accident. Rep. Markey, who first pushed for BP to make public the video of the undersea operations, also asked for information regarding the safety protections built into the current cap and the timeline for the swapping of containment caps in the coming weeks.

“The end result of this mishap is that thousands more barrels of oil flowed into the sea during the duration of the event. We cannot afford such errors and we need to understand clearly the facts behind it, ” writes Rep. Markey to BP America President Lamar McKay. “We also need to better understand BP’s plans for coping with such a contingency and for moving as quickly as possible to completely shut off the flow from the well.”

In the letter, (click HERE for PDF) Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, asked the following questions:

1. What was the cause of the vent closing? Was it bumped by an ROV? If so, please provide video footage of the bumping incident. If high-definition footage is available, please provide the video in that format.

2. What safety protections are provided with regard to the collection system? Is it possible for gas to rise through the collection system and create another explosion? What systems, if any, prevent such a possibility?

3. In terms of oil collection, is the cap, after being replaced, functioning as well as it previously did? Is it performing better? Or did the incident cause the performance of the cap to worsen?

4. When will the next cap be put in place and what is its current state of readiness? What are the factors that prevent placement of the cap immediately? Is the cap already fabricated and in transit or onsite? Are there additional components of the collection system that require fabrication or transport to the site? Or is placement of the cap being delayed solely due to the lack of sufficient surface handling capacity?

5. What safety measures devices will be installed on this new cap to prevent accidents, explosions or damage to the well bore?

6. Please summarize the factors that could impact the timing or success of the new cap including, but not limited to the need for fabrication of devices or new tools, arrival of supplies, arrival of processing, handling and storage capacity, and the need for any additional equipment or materials.

7. Please provide copies of all documents in your possession created since April 20, 2010 that relate to plans for efforts to place caps or oil collection systems on the well. Please provide copies of all such documents that are in your personal possession by close of business on Tuesday June 29th. Please provide copies of all such documents in the possession of or addressed to, Mr. Tony Hayward, Mr. Doug Suttles, Mr. Bob Dudley and Mr. Kent Wells within one week of receipt of this letter.

# # #

Markey Bill to Force Oil Companies to Relocate Walruses Back to the Arctic

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

New Legislation Requires Oil Industry to Update Spill Response Plans, Calls for Updated Federal & Regional Plans, and Safer Dispersants

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

WASHINGTON (June 25, 2010) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced legislation that would finally push the oil industry to update their spill response plans. The oil spill response plans submitted by the major oil companies were, as the companies admitted in a June 15th hearing before Rep. Markey’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee, an embarrassment, and entirely inadequate to respond to a disastrous oil spill. Rep. Markey revealed at that hearing that the companies’ plans included scenarios to protect non-existent walruses in the Gulf of Mexico, and listed phone numbers for long-dead scientists.

“This bill will finally force the oil companies to put walruses back in the Arctic, and get real safety response plans in the Gulf,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. “It’s time for oil companies to get serious about the real risks and challenges associated with oil disasters. The families living and working in the Gulf Coast deserve safety response plans that are iron clad, not boilerplate.”

To bill text can be found HERE.

Investigations conducted by Chairman Markey, the Energy and Commerce Committee and others have revealed several notable and glaring problems associated with the oil companies’ response plans, including:

--The oil companies’ response plans contained scenarios to protect walruses, seals, and other species not found in the Gulf of Mexico.
--The oil companies’ response plans contained the names and phone numbers of a long-dead expert.
--The oil companies’ response plans contained a defunct Japanese website address for the corporation expected to provide response equipment.
--In its plan specific to the Macondo well, BP said that even its worst-case spill would cause almost no environmental consequences.
--The oil companies' response plans contained no spill scenario modeling based on subsurface leaks or deepwater drilling activities.
--The dispersants that have been approved for use have not been tested to determine effects associated with sub-surface application or long-term use.

The legislation Rep. Markey introduced today, called the Better Oil Spill Response Plan Act of 2010, remedies these problems. It contains provisions to:

--Force the oil companies to provide the federal government with updated response plans within six months and periodically thereafter. The plans must include estimates of the worst-case scenarios for oil and gas drilling for various regions in the U.S., taking into account sub-surface and deep-water impacts.
--Require the federal government to revise regulations for the oil and gas companies’ facility and vessel response plans within 1 year, making sure that these response plans will take the new worst case scenarios into account and that they are based on an accurate assessment of the geographic area where the rigs will be operating. The plans must include a demonstration and certification that the drilling operators can execute the plans. The president must approve these plans, and a provision that specified conditions for a presidential waiver of the plan approval requirement is struck. After two years, there must be an approved response plan for each facility or vessel owner.
--Require the federal government to update, within nine months, its response plan and associated regulations, to take into account lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon leak, the new worst case scenarios, and the recommendations of the independent commission investigating the BP spill. The president will also be required to revise the plan (and regulations, if necessary) whenever there is a material revision to the worst case scenario.
--Update regional plans within 18 months to take into account lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon leak, the new worst case scenarios, the recommendations of the independent commission and the new federal plan. These will also need to be revised whenever there is a material revision to the worst case scenario or the federal plan.
--Strengthen the safety review and approval process for dispersants or other chemicals to evaluate, among other considerations, the long-term, sub-surface use of the chemicals. Publication of the chemical ingredients is required whenever a Spill of National Significance is declared.
--Ensure that having an approved response plan is made part of the leasing regulations associated with all drilling and production operations subject to this Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

Today Chairman Markey also introduced the “Stop Oil Spills Act,” a bill to fund research into new oil spill prevention and response technologies. Read more about the bill here:
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=4035&Itemid=125

Markey Questions Why BP Exceeding Dispersant Directives

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Letters to EPA and Coast Guard Cite Recent Increases in Volume of Dispersants Used by Company

(June 24, 2010) – Responding to increasing use of dispersants by BP in recent days, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today wrote to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Coast Guard asking for an update on the analysis of the chemicals, and to respond to BP’s continued use of dispersants. The questions follow yesterday’s findings by government scientists that the underwater plumes identified are consistent with those that would be formed following the use of the chemicals, and ongoing concerns over the chemicals’ impacts on human and marine life health.

“Million of gallons of chemical dispersant have been added to the Gulf waters, contributing to a toxic stew of chemicals, oil and gas with impacts that are not well understood,” writes Rep. Markey in the letters. Rep. Markey chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

In the letters, Rep. Markey says that an analysis of BP’s recent dispersant use shows the company has not eliminated surface application of the chemicals, saying “daily volumes hover around 10,000 gallons.” BP has also exceeded the recommended daily levels of 15,000 gallons of subsurface application at the spill source.

Click HERE to see the letter to the EPA

Click HERE to see the letter to the Coast Guard

As the EPA continues its own analysis of alternative dispersants, which Rep. Markey notes in his letter that “this type of scientific evaluation takes time to accomplish,” BP has not quite reached the goal of reducing the overall amount of dispersant used by 75 percent from the maximum daily amount of 70,000 gallons, and has yet to eliminate surface applications. In the letter to the Coast Guard, Rep. Markey asks for any copies of requests by BP to the Coast Guard to continue to use dispersants on the surface of the water, as well as the Coast Guard’s response.

Along with the toxicity of the dispersants potentially harming marine and human health, the chemicals are now being linked to the formation of large plumes of oil below the ocean’s surface. Yesterday, NOAA scientists reconfirmed the existence of these plumes, and said that their characteristics are consistent with those that would be formed following the use of chemically-dispersed oil.

In the letter to EPA, Rep. Markey asks for updates on the scientific analysis of Corexit and alternative dispersants. Rep. Markey also asks whether BP is making public all information related to the spill and its response.

# # #

Markey: As NOAA Confirms Plumes Again, BP Denies PlumesaEUR|Again

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Releases Letters, Documents from BP Challenging Company’s Ongoing Denial of Plumes

(June 23, 2010) – Following the release of a government analysis showing, yet again, the existence of undersea plumes of oil from the BP oil spill, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released documents he obtained from BP related to their denial of these plumes. The documents, and the follow-up letter from Rep. Markey to BP CEO Tony Hayward, include some of the preliminary information used in this government analysis to show the existence of plumes, even as BP continued to deny the presence of the underwater clouds of oil.

“NOAA and the EPA have confirmed these plumes exist. Independent scientists have confirmed these plumes exist. Will it take a submarine ride to show these BP executives that these plumes exist?” asked Rep. Markey.

Even after pointed questioning from Rep. Markey at an Energy and Commerce hearing on June 17th, Hayward continued to equivocate on the existence of undersea plumes, prompting Rep. Markey, who is chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, to write another letter to Hayward asking for more evidence to support his company’s claims. Rep. Markey is also today releasing the initial documents acquired from BP that they claimed backed up their position that there are no plumes.

Many experts have raised concerns about these plumes’ potential to cause significant harm to aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico. This can occur via two mechanisms. First, the toxic constituents of oil and dispersants can poison the aquatic plants and animals that are exposed to them, leading to death, non-lethal harm to species, or contamination of the marine food chain. Second, as naturally-occurring bacteria consume the oil dispersed in the plumes and multiply, they also use up oxygen, and this can in turn lead to localized depletions in oxygen levels that could cause marine life to die of asphyxiation. Oxygen depleted at the depths that these plumes have been found can take years to replenish, causing long-term damage to the deep Gulf ecosystem.

Rep. Markey had originally written to BP on May 31, 2010 asking BP to substantiate Hayward’s claim the day before that BP samples showed “no evidence” that oil was suspended sub-surface.

Among BP’s evidence provided to Rep. Markey is data from the R/V Brooks McCall, one of the main sources of data for the joint government analysis released today. And yet, BP’s response omits information publicly available on EPA’s website that used BP’s own data. BP also submitted data for tests done west of the well site, but ignored independent analysis that had been conducted east of the well site.

“In short, it appears as though once again, BP is making questionable assertions using flawed and incomplete analysis in order to minimize the potential harm its leak has caused and may cause going forward,” Rep. Markey said.

###

Markey Queries BP on Relief Well Prospects

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Asks About Well Integrity, Design of Relief Wells, Timeframe, Sea Floor Leaks

Contact: 202-225-4012

WASHINGTON (June 23, 2010) – In an extensive inquiry letter sent to BP today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) asked the company about the progress and design of the relief wells, which are now being drilled to shut down the still-spewing BP Macondo well. This comes on the heels of yesterday’s briefing by Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, where he said alternatives to the relief wells are being considered.

“The relief wells are still our best chance to end this spill,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “We need to know that these efforts are being conducted with the utmost of caution and competence, so that this gushing geyser of oil is safely shut off.”

The letter focuses on several main lines of inquiry, and is available by clicking HERE:

--Relief well design and timeframe, notably on the designs of the casing and cementing of the relief wells and the blowout preventers for the relief wells. In a June 15th hearing in the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, BP’s Lamar McKay said that “the design of the relief well is very, very similar to the original well.” In the letter, Rep. Markey writes: “In light of the well-documented and extensive problems associated with the original well’s design, this statement is worrisome to contemplate.”

--Condition of the wellbore. Admiral Allen expressed concern last week that there may be damage to the wellbore, and the integrity of the well has been a consistent concern since the failure of the so-called “top kill” procedure.

--Reports of sea floor leaks. Rep. Markey also asks about whether there are additional leaks around the main well site, as that may impact any final efforts to seal the well and prevent further leakage of oil.

--Other potential oil and gas reservoirs. Rep. Markey asks BP to provide all geological information about the well to determine if there are other reservoirs of oil and gas aside from the main one 18,000 feet below the surface, as their presence, coupled with damage to the wellbore, could also complicate the relief well efforts.

# # #

June 23, 2010

Mr. Tony Hayward
Chief Executive Officer
BP PLC
1 St. James's Square
London SWI Y 4PD
United Kingdom

Dear Mr. Hayward:

I write to request information related to the integrity of the wellbore and casing at the Deepwater Horizon leak site, as well as to request further information on the design, testing, timeframe and likelihood of success for the relief wells being drilled today. While BP has repeatedly stated that the relief well would be completed by mid-August , I am concerned that possible damage to the wellbore and casing and the difficulty of the operation itself could result in more weeks or months before the flow of oil and gas is finally stopped.

As you know, there has been speculation that the wellbore and casing at the Deepwater Horizon leak site may have been damaged and that leaks of oil and gas may already be coming through the sea floor or through the pipe itself. The risks of this occurring were increased by BP’s decision to use a more risky drill pipe casing design, and because the riser pipe was both inadequately centered in the well-bore and inadequately cemented. Damage to these already vulnerable systems could have occurred through a number of events: via the initial explosions that sunk the rig, through erosion from the high pressures and volumes of oil and gas associated with the leak and possible washout from the formation, or due to the failed “Top Kill” efforts which blasted 30,000 barrels of drilling mud under high pressure into the well.

In fact, in his June 17 press briefing, Admiral Thad Allen stated that “I think that one thing that nobody knows is the condition of the wellbore from below the blow out preventer down to the actual oil field itself. And we don’t know, we don’t know if the wellbore has been compromised or not. One of the reasons we did not continue with top kill at higher pressures, there was a concern that if we increased the pressure too hard it might do damage to the casings and the wellbore. What we didn’t want was open communication of any oil from the reservoir outside the wellbore that might get into the formation and work its way to the sub sea floor and then result in uncontrolled discharge at that point.”

In a June 18, 2010 article in the Times Picayune, Bob Bea of the University of California at Berkeley indicated that there is reason to believe that oil and gas is leaking from places other than the containment cap. BP officials said that a disk that is part of the subsea safety infrastructure may have failed in the initial April 20th explosion, which may have contributed to the failure of the “top-kill” . As reported by the Wall Street Journal, people familiar with BP’s “top-kill” attempt have speculated that some drilling mud may have escaped the well into the surrounding rock.

In addition to concerns related to the condition of the wellbore, I am also concerned that the relief well design, testing and likelihood of success may prove the August timeframe to be optimistic. At the June 15, 2010 hearing of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, BP’s Lamar McKay stated in response to questions that “the design of the relief well is very, very similar to the original well.” In light of the well-documented and extensive problems associated with the original well’s design, this statement is worrisome to contemplate. Moreover, it can take more than one attempt to plug a well using a relief well. For example, it took nearly 10 months to permanently halt the Ixtoc oil spill.

In the June 17, 2010 hearing of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, you testified that you believed the reservoir contained 50 million barrels of oil. The damage that such a quantity of oil could do, should it all leak into the Gulf of Mexico, would be staggering. It is imperative that the efforts to permanently halt the flow of oil are successful. Consequently, I ask for your prompt responses to the following questions:

Questions on relief well design and timeframe.

1) Please provide documents related to the design of the current relief wells:

a. Please include all documents related to the type of liner being used for the relief wells. Will it be a full-string system such as that used at the Macondo well, a system that includes a liner with a tie-back which provides more barriers to block any flow of oil and gas, or some other design?
b. Please include all documents related to the cement jobs being performed on the relief wells. Have and will cement bond logs be used after each cement job or remedial cement job in order to ensure the integrity of the cement job?
c. Please include all documents related to the blowout preventers being used for the relief wells. Are the as-built engineering documents up-to-date and available to operators on the drilling rigs?
d. Have these blowout preventers been tested prior to deployment to ensure that the sort of problems reported to have occurred on the blowout preventer used on the Macondo well (related to battery power for the dead-man switch, potential failure of the control system to be connected to the shear ram, hydraulic fluid pressure leaks and other problems) do not exist?
e. How many blind shear rams will the blowout preventers used for the relief well have? Who manufactured the blowout preventers that will be used? Have system integration tests been performed on them?
f. What sorts of imaging or other monitoring technologies will be built into the blowout preventers used on the relief wells? Will these technologies be left in place in order to monitor for leaks once the Macondo well is sealed?
g. Please include all documents related to planned or ongoing testing of the relief wells that will occur prior to the first attempt to plug the Macondo well.

2) Please provide documents related to the timeframes for relief well drilling, testing and use:

a. Please include all documents related to the expected schedule for the completion of the drilling, casing and cementing of each relief well.
b. Please include all documents related to the schedule for the testing of each relief well prior to the start of the “kill” operation.
c. Please include all documents related to the anticipated schedule and timeframe for killing the well. How long could each step, including filling the relief well with drilling mud, take if all goes according to plan? How long might it take from the beginning of the “kill” operation until the Macondo well is plugged?
d. What is the likelihood that filling the relief wells with drilling mud will result in fractures and a subsequent loss of pressure? Please provide all relevant documents.
e. In the event that the first attempt to locate the Macondo well fails, how long will it take in order to prepare a second or subsequent attempt(s)? How long will the second or subsequent attempt(s) take? Please provide a time estimate for each step needed to prepare for a second or subsequent attempt.
f. Are there any known magnetic anomalies in the area or geological formations that might give rise to such anomalies in the area that will make detection of the Macondo well pipe more difficult? If so, please provide all relevant documents.

Questions on the condition of the wellbore and reports of sea floor leaks.

3) Please provide documents related to the condition of the wellbore:

a. Has BP attempted to determine whether the casing inside the wellbore has been damaged and if so, what were the results? Please provide all measurements, images, and other documents related to the condition of the wellbore, as well as any future plans for such measurements going forward.
b. Has BP confirmed or attempted to confirm the presence of hydrocarbons leaking from anywhere other than the containment cap? If so, what were the results? Please provide all related documents.
c. Has BP surveyed the vicinity of the well to look for any leaks from the sea floor? If so, what area was surveyed? Please provide all measurements, images, and other documents related to any survey(s) to identify hydrocarbon leakage from the sea floor. If no survey has been performed, why not?

4) Please provide documents related to stopping a worst-case scenario blowout:

a. If hydrocarbons are leaking directly into the ocean from the wellbore or the sea floor, will this complicate, delay or otherwise impede BP’s efforts to plug the flow using the relief wells? If so, how? If not, why not?
b. If BP discovers, during the relief well “kill” efforts, that hydrocarbons are also leaking from a location significantly above the target reservoir, what options exist to contain such leakage? Please provide all relevant documentation.
c. Please provide all documents related to the geologic formation in which the Macondo well is located. Are there significant deposits of oil and gas in formations above the target reservoir? Please provide an estimate of the total amount of oil and gas that is contained in i) the Macondo well target formation and ii) each formation above the target formation that could leak hydrocarbons into the annulus as a result of poor cementing, damage caused by the initial explosion(s), or the failed Top Kill effort.

Questions on other potential hydrocarbon reservoirs in the well.

5) Please provide documents related to the possibility that the initial drilling encountered leakage from other formations above the target reservoir:

a. In order to understand the geological complexity of the well, please provide all geological logs, including the mud log, and all geophysical logs, including resistivity and porosity logs.
b. A May 23, 2010 article entitled “Documents show BP chose a less- expensive, less–reliable method for completing well in Gulf oil spill” in the Orlando Sentinel stated that well records indicate that in late February, there was a loss in drilling mud pressure. According to the article, this could mean that the mud fractured layers of sand or shale in the formation and vanished. The article goes on to state that in early March, the pressure of the oil and gas encountered overwhelmed the pressure of the drilling mud. In mid-April, a loss of drilling mud was reportedly again experienced. Do any or all of these events indicate that oil and gas could be flowing from somewhere other than the target reservoir? If so, please explain fully, and if not, why not?

Thank you very much for your attention to this important matter. Please provide your response no later than Friday July 2, 2010. If you have any questions or concerns, please have your staff contact Dr. Michal Freedhoff of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee staff at 202-225-2836.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
Chairman
Energy and Environment Subcommittee

cc: Honorable Henry Waxman, Chairman
Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member
Honorable Fred Upton, Ranking Member

Markey Statement on Moratorium Decision

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

(June 22, 2010) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement on the decision of a federal judge to allow 33 offshore drilling rigs to continue drilling before proper safety measures are put in place:

"This is another bad decision in a disaster riddled with bad decisions by the oil industry. The only thing worse than one oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico would be two oil spill disasters.

"This judge’s decision flies in the face of mounting evidence that there are serious safety risks that must be examined with these 33 deepwater rigs before they start drilling again.

"Ninety-seven percent of the manned rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are up and running. No one is realistically talking about shutting down offshore drilling in the Gulf.

"We would be doing the oil rig workers and citizens of the Gulf a disservice if we did not put safety first with these few rigs. The Obama administration is right to appeal, and I fully support that effort."

# # #

Markey: Internal BP Document Shows Worst Case Scenario for Spill Could Be 100,000 Barrels Per Day

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Questions remain on integrity of well

WASHINGTON (June 20, 2010) -- Today Representative Ed Markey (D-Mass.) released an internal BP document showing that the company's own analysis believed that a worst-case scenario, based on damage to the well bore, could result in 100,000 barrels of oil per day.

In the document, BP stated: If BOP and wellhead are removed and if we have incorrectly modeled the restrictions – the rate could be as high as ~ 100,000 barrels per day up the casing or 55,000 barrels per day up the annulus (low probability worst cases)

To read the document, CLICK HERE.

This number is in sharp contrast to BP’s initial claim that the leak was just 1,000 barrels a day. At the time this document was made available to Congress, BP claimed the leak was 5,000 barrels a day, and told Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the worst case scenario was be 60,000 barrels a day. This document tells a different story.

“Considering what is now known about BP’s problems with this well prior to the Deepwater Horizon explosion, including cementing issues, leaks in the blowout preventer and gas kicks, BP should have been more honest about the dangerous condition of the well bore,” said Markey, the chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

On Thursday, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen was asked in his daily briefing about the condition of the well bore. He said there, “So what I would tell you is we don’t know exactly the condition of the well bore. And that’s one of the unknowns that we’re managing around in terms of risks. And that’s the reason we didn’t go, didn’t go to excessive pressures on the top kill and decided that we’d deal with containment and then go for the final relief well.”

According to Admiral Allen: "I think that one thing that nobody knows is the condition of the well bore from below the blowout preventer down to the actual oil field itself. And we don’t know, we don’t know if the well bore has been compromised or not."

What the BP document suggests that if the well bore is compromised or becomes compromised, we now know we could be looking at a flow rate 100 times BP's initial estimate. Even if we can't know for certain the condition of the well bore, we should have known how much oil could flow from it--BP did.

“When the oil spill started, BP said it was only 1,000 barrels a day. Now we know it could end up being 100 times larger than that in a worst-case scenario,” said Markey. “This document raises very troubling questions about what BP knew and when they knew it. It is clear that, from the beginning, BP has not been straightforward with the government or the American people about the true size of this spill. Now the families living and working in the Gulf are suffering from their incompetence.”

“BP needs to tell us what it will do if the well bore is compromised and 100,000 barrels per day of oil spills into the ocean. At this point, we need real contingency planning, not a plan with dead scientists and walruses,” said Markey.

Markey: BP Agrees to Markey Demand to Release Worker Data

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

June 17, 2010 – Responding to pressure from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), BP today sent a roster of workers involved in the clean up efforts to the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. After discovering yesterday that BP was withholding this information, Markey pressed BP CEO Tony Hayward to release this data today at a hearing in the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Markey asked Hayward if the company would release to the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety a roster of all workers involved in the clean up efforts, a request made by the Institute multiple times without acknowledgement. Within a few hours of Chairman Markey’s request, BP provided the information to the agency.

“We need to know just what the toxic plumes and toxic fumes are doing to workers in the Gulf,” said Markey, the chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. “There are still many troubling questions surrounding worker and resident health and safety. While it should have never taken this long for BP to concede this information, I am pleased that the company has taken the first straightforward step to provide Health and Human Services with critical information that is needed to track chemical exposure and potential health effects.”

On Wednesday, at a hearing of the Health Subcommittee, Rep. Markey learned in response to a question from Dr. John Howard, Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that BP had failed to respond to several requests for this information.

Top Oil CEOs Testify Before Congress

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Hearing in Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment

On Tuesday, June 15, 2010, Chairman Markey’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee held a hearing with top executives of the five largest oil companies. They testified regarding the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, drilling safety and the impacts of the nation’s dependence on oil.

WHAT: House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment hearing, "Drilling Down on America’s Energy Future: Safety, Security and Clean Energy”

WHEN: Tuesday June 15, 2010

WHERE: U.S. Capitol Complex, Washington DC

OPENING STATEMENT: Chairman Edward J. Markey

TESTIMONY:
Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO, ExxonMobil
John Watson, Chairman and CEO, Chevron Corporation
James Mulva, Chairman and CEO, ConocoPhillips
Lamar McKay, President and Chairman, BP America, Inc.
Marvin Odum, President, Shell Oil Company

MORE INFORMATION:
Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing Page -- Includes archived video of full hearing
Oil Spill information from the Speaker of the House

VIDEO:

PHOTOS:

Chairman Ed Markey

Chairman Markey and the covers of BP, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil's Gulf of Mexico regional response plans.

Detail of Gulf of Mexico Reigional Oil Spill Response plans.

The panel of witnesses

BP America's President and Chairman Lamar McKay, withchevron CEO John Watson in the background.

John Watson, Chairman and CEO of Chevron

Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil

Marvin Odum, President of Shell Oil Company

James Mulva, Chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips

Lamar McKay, President and Chairman of BP America

The panel of witnesses

The witnesses, audience, and photographers during Chairman Markey's opening statement

Markey to BP: Allow Scientists to Directly Measure Spill

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Measurement Could Be Conducted When New Cap is Installed, Yet BP Stonewalling Scientists

June 10, 2010 – Within a few weeks, an important opportunity could present itself for scientists to directly analyze the BP oil spill site at the sea floor to better estimate the size of the flow. Scientists from the Flow Rate Technical Group have expressed to BP their desire to conduct such a measurement when a new containment cap is placed on the well, but have been met with silence from the company. Responding to this potential opportunity, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today pressed BP to allow these scientists to conduct this measurement when the cap-swap occurs.

“This measurement could help inform the ongoing effort to end the spill, which is the number one priority,” wrote Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “There are concerns that, without the best information on the size and force of this gusher, that the effectiveness of the new containment cap and relief wells could be compromised.”

The letter to BP America CEO Lamar McKay can be found HERE.

BP has said recently that they will in a few weeks be switching out the current containment cap for an updated version that will be able to siphon off more oil. When the first cap is removed, and before the replacement cap is installed, the full flow of the out-of-control oil well could be measured directly.

The measurement technique, which was introduced to Rep. Markey by Dr. Ira Leifer of the Marine Sciences Institute at the University of California-Santa Barbara, would consist of injecting fluorescent dye into the flow of oil as it leaves the riser pipe during that time period. Flow rate scientists could then use their peer-reviewed methods to gauge the speed and size of the gusher of oil leaving the pipe, finally giving what would be the best estimation yet as to the size of the flow.

Dr. Leifer has indicated that other members of the flow rate team would also appreciate direct access to measure the flow, and that they do not in any way desire to interfere with the primary goal: to capture as much oil as possible and cap the well. The measurement would take only a couple of hours, and monitoring equipment could be left at the site to continue to measure the oil flow. Dr. Leifer said the equipment and team could be in place within a week, before the cap-swap is expected to occur.

Dr. Leifer told staff to Rep. Markey that BP has yet to respond to their requests for direct measurements of the oil gusher during this critical moment.

House Passes Electric Grid Security Act

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Bi-partisan GRID Act Co-Authored by Markey Would Protect Electricity System Against Attacks

June 9, 2010 - Bipartisan legislation co-authored by Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) that would protect our nation’s electricity grid from attacks today passed the House of Representatives by unanimous voice vote. The Grid Reliability and Infrastructure Defense Act (GRID Act) also passed by a unanimous vote in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“The electric grid’s vulnerability to cyber and other attacks is one of the single greatest threats to our national security,” said Markey, Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. “Every one of our nation’s critical systems – defense, water, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, law enforcement, and financial services – depends on the grid. This bipartisan legislation is critical to protecting the United States against this emerging threat.”

The GRID Act would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take measures to protect the electric grid from cyber and other attacks.

Over the past year, Chairman Markey’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee held multiple hearings and classified briefings on electric grid security issues. Testimony from the Commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and briefings from national security experts have emphasized the gravity of the threat America’s grid faces and the inadequacy of existing law to deal with this threat.

Markey to BP: Release High Quality Video to Flow Rate Experts

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

June 8, 2010 – Responding to complaints from experts tasked with estimating the true flow rate of the BP oil spill that they still do not have access to critical high-quality video, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today demanded that BP release the video to these experts.

In a letter to BP America CEO Lamar McKay, Rep. Markey notes complaints from scientists on the Flow Rate Technical Group that they have still not received high-quality video from the period between the cutting and removal of the sunken riser pipe and the installation of the current containment cap system. This period is vital towards determining the latest flow rate of the oil gusher.

"Experts will be able to determine the current flow rate if they have access to archived high quality video of the period after the riser was severed and before the cap was installed," writes Rep. Markey, chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "Any efforts on your part to prevent experts from determining the size of this spill is are unacceptable."

Rep. Markey requests, as he has done previously, that BP archive all footage and provide it to these experts in the highest-quality format to aid in their analysis. Rep. Markey also requests in the letter that the video be sent to him and these experts within 24 hours.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Markey to BP: 10,000 Barrels a Day Captured...Out of What?

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Hayward, BP Pushed by Chairman to Ascertain Better Overall Flow Number

June 6, 2010 - Following claims that the new containment method is capturing 10,000 barrels a day, and comments from BP CEO Tony Hayward indicating BP expects to eventually capture "the vast majority" of the oil, Rep. Edward J. Markey today sent a letter to BP asking for clarification on the total amount of oil that is coming out of the well. Rep. Markey, who has continually pressed for better numbers on the size of the oil gusher, said the government and the American people need to know the true size of the leak to coordinate a proper response and to correctly calculate BP's potential fines that would result from the spilled oil.

Rep. Markey also queried BP on whether the company took efforts to measure the flow after the cutting of the sunken riser pipe, but before the current containment system was put in place. He also asked what BP plans to do with the siphoned oil.

"At this time, BP appears to know how much oil is being captured, which is encouraging. Yet BP still does not appear to know precisely how much oil is actually escaping, which is discouraging," writes Rep. Markey in the letter to BP America CEO Lamar McKay. Rep. Markey chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "Estimating the size of the spill at the source, instead of when it approaches the shore, continues to be the best way to gauge the leak."

Rep. Markey notes in the letter that a proper flow rate can help inform the Obama administration's coordinated efforts to respond to BP's spill. He also reminds BP in the letter that they will face potential fines of up to $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled.

The letter to BP is pasted below:

June 6, 2010

Mr. Lamar McKay

President and CEO,

BP America, Inc.

501 Westlake Park Boulevard

Houston, Texas, 70779

Dear Mr. McKay:

BP has now completed severing the broken riser pipe from the Deepwater Horizon well and has placed a cap on the top of the blowout preventer. BP has now begun to collect oil through this cap. However, as is evident from the live video feeds being shot on the ocean floor, substantial quantities of oil continue to escape from around the sides of the cap and from vents on the cap. These video feeds have also shown BP applying subsea dispersant into the gushing oil plumes escaping from around the cap.

The critical question at this time is: "how much oil is escaping into the environment?" BP CEO Tony Hayward has indicated that the cap is capturing 10,000 barrels per day. Mr. Hayward has also indicated that he expects soon to be able to capture "the vast majority" of the oil spewing from the well. However, conservative official estimates of the flow rate indicated that prior to the severing of the riser, somewhere between 12,000-19,000 barrels of oil were flowing from the well. In addition, government officials have suggested that by severing the kinked and broken riser pipe, flow rates could increase by up to 20 percent.

At this time, BP appears to know how much oil is being captured, which is encouraging. Yet BP still does not appear to know precisely how much oil is actually escaping, which is discouraging. Estimating the size of the spill at the source, instead of when it approaches the shore, continues to be the best way to gauge the leak. We need to know the amount of total oil flowing from the well, taking into account both the amount of oil being collected, and the amount being released into the ocean environment. This is critical, not only in terms of the efficacy of the temporary cap solution, but also in terms of the size and extent of the needed spill response and the ultimate effects on the environment. Finally, accurate flow rate information will be required to determine BP’s financial liability in terms of fines, which could be as high as $4,300 per barrel.

Therefore please answer the following questions immediately:

What is the total estimated volume of oil flowing from the well, taking into account both the amount of oil being captured and the amount of oil that is being released into the ocean? What is the basis for this estimate?
Prior to placement of the cap, but after complete severing of the riser pipe, did BP estimate the volume of flow from the well? Did BP determine whether the severing of the riser pipe did, in fact, increase the overall amount of flow? If so, by what percentage did the flow increase? If not when will BP perform this calculation? Please take account of any such calculation in the answer to question 1.
With regard to the estimate of 10,000 barrels of oil per day being recovered, is the material being recovered at the surface just oil or is it a mix of oil, seawater and other materials? How does the answer to this question affect your response to question 1? Is the 10,000 barrels per day estimate for just oil?
What is BP going to do with the oil it is recovering?

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey

Chairman

Energy and Environment Subcommittee

Energy and Commerce Committee

Top Oil CEOs Testify Before Congress

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Environment chaired by Representative Markey will host the following hearing on TUESDAY (6.15):

The Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will hold a hearing entitled “Drilling Down on America’s Energy Future: Safety, Security, and Clean Energy” on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.

Opening Statement: Chairman Edward J. Markey

Witnesses:
Rex Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ExxonMobil
John Watson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chevron Corporation
James Mulva, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ConocoPhillips
Lamar McKay, President and Chairman, BP America, Inc.
Marvin Odum, President, Shell Oil Company

When: 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 15

Where: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building and ONLINE (CSPAN-3)

Documents
Briefing Memo

For more information, please go to http://energycommerce.house.gov/

Markey: Halliburton Denies Responsibility for Oil Spill, Rejects Contributing Money to Scientists

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Call from Chairman for Independent Scientist Funding Met with Stunning Response from Major Player in Oil Spill Incident

June 4, 2010 – When Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to the companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to request contributions to an independent science fund, BP responded within three days with a commitment of $500 million, one of the few bright spots in this disaster.

Halliburton, on the other hand, has responded with a different tactic: deny responsibility for the disaster, and contribute zero funds.

In a letter sent to Rep. Markey late yesterday, Halliburton President Tim Probert said that he did not believe that Halliburton is among the companies bearing responsibility for the oil spill, even though Halliburton was the company working on the failed cement plug on the Deepwater Horizon rig. And the company refused to donate any funds to the Surface and Underwater Research Fund—or SURF Fund—that Rep. Markey has spearheaded.

“Halliburton is apparently more worried about litigation than scientific investigation,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “In order to prevent catastrophes like this from ever occurring again, this disaster needs to be a teachable, researchable moment. Halliburton seems more worried about their own impeachable moment.”

The letter from Halliburton to Chairman Markey can be found by clicking HERE.

Details on Rep. Markey’s call for a scientific fund can be found HERE.

Markey to Introduce Spill aEURoeTool-KitaEUR? Bill

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Following BP CEO Admission of Unpreparedness, Chairman Will Push for 21st Century Safety and Response Technologies in “Oil SOS” Fund

June 3, 2010 – Following BP CEO Tony Hayward’s admission that his company did not have a “tool-kit” for a sizeable spill from a deep-water well, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) announced that he would introduce a bill creating an oil company-funded research and development program to create 21st century oil safety and spill response technologies.

“From junk shots to top hats, this spill shows that BP and the oil industry paid more attention to drilling ultra-deep instead of creating ultra-safe technologies to prevent and respond to a crisis. The oil companies have not developed new solutions to contain their own pollution,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “The oil companies have been more focused on paying shareholder dividends than creating safety devices, and it’s now time to force them into creating 21st century safety and response solutions.”

Rep. Markey will introduce a bill -- the Oil SOS (Safety for Offshore Spills) Fund -- when Congress returns from recess that will seek to recover funds from faulty drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico that allow oil companies to drill without paying royalties and redirect some of those funds into a safety and response R&D fund. Currently, due to a poorly drafted law passed in 1995 -- the Deepwater Royalty Relief Act – and a court challenge from the oil companies, some oil producers that received leases between 1996 and 2000 in the Gulf of Mexico are currently drilling on public land for free.

Even as the spill continues in the Gulf of Mexico, the Interior Department is required to refund or credit $2.1 billion to dozens of companies due to these faulty oil leases, including $240 million to BP. In the future, these companies stand to keep $53 billion dollars in future royalties.

Rep. Markey’s legislation would create a fund to support badly needed investments in developing the technologies to better respond to future oil spills and design safer technologies to prevent spills. A portion of the recovered oil company payments would be directed to the technology fund. Rep. Markey’s bill would also repeal expanded royalty relief that was created under a 2005 energy bill passed by the Republican Congress.

Hayward’s confession today also directly contradicted information BP submitted in their oil response plan to the Interior Department, where the company certified to the government that they could handle a spill of 250,000 barrels a day, or about the size of an Exxon Valdez every day.

“From the Valdez to Santa Barbara to spills around the world, the oil companies know their own potential for disaster. And yet they continue to show themselves to be woefully unprepared,” said Rep. Markey.

Markey: BP Releases 12-Camera Feed

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BP Follows Markey Request to Provide More Footage, With Pipe Cut Scientists Can Assess Change in Flow Rate

June 3, 2010 – As BP attempts today to place the “top cap” containment dome on their oil spill source 5,000 below the Gulf of Mexico, the company finally relented to calls from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and is now providing the live video feeds from all 12 possible rovers operating below the surface.

“These dozen views of the spill will finally provide the American public and independent observers the unfettered access needed to assess both the progress and destruction happening a mile below the Gulf,” said Rep. Markey, who first called and put up a live feed of the spill on Thursday, May 20th. “The release of the Spillcam brought the urgency of this disaster into homes across the United States, and this new level of transparency will allow for robust, real-time information to the world.”

Now that the pipe at the top of the blowout preventer has been cut, this video is more important than ever. Scientists can now use it to reassess the change in flow rate, and better determine the true size and scope of this disaster.

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which Rep. Markey chairs, has been providing a streaming feed of the 12 possible cameras to television networks for the last week to improve transparency of the operations. These new 12 Internet feeds will now be available on the Select Committee website and on BP’s website.

On Monday, Chairman Markey sent a letter to BP America CEO Lamar McKay reiterating his request for the 12 camera feeds. Rep. Markey cited the lag time in information given to the public during the failed "top kill" attempt to seal the still-spilling BP oil well, and some discrepancies in camera angles and availability during those operations, as reasons to provide the 12 camera feed for future operations. This followed several other calls from Rep. Markey to provide all 12 feeds.

Markey Queries BP on Plume Denial

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Company Claims Underwater Clouds of Oil Do Not Exist; Chairman Asks for Evidence

May 31, 2010 -- Following media reports where BP CEO Tony Hayward claimed that BP had found "no evidence" of underwater oil plumes, even though they have been discovered and documented by scientists, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter of inquiry to Hayward asking for documentation to substantiate his claims.

"BP in this instance means 'Blind to Plumes,'" said Rep. Markey, chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is leading an investigation into the BP oil spill.

"The confirmation of the presence of large quantities of oil sub-surface could help to inform clean-up and response efforts, and it is vital that there is unfettered access to all relevant data or analysis," writes Markey in his letter to Hayward .

Rep. Markey notes that University of South Florida researchers recently found a 22 mile long plume of dispersed oil. Many independent news organizations have also taken footage of these plumes, which some scientists believe may be related to the use of dispersants.

The full text of the letter is pasted below:

# # #

aEUREUR

May 31, 2010

Mr. Lamar McKay

President and CEO

BP America, Inc.

510 Westlake Park Boulevard

Houston , Texas 70779

Dear Mr. McKay:

I write to request information regarding statements that BP CEO Tony Hayward reportedly made yesterday, in which he asserted that all oil being spewed from the gushing Deepwater Horizon well is on the surface of the ocean, and not dispersed in vast, undersea plumes as some independent scientists have found.

As you know, several scientists have independently found large volumes of oil under the surface of water, and some have speculated that these may have been formed as a result of the use of dispersants sub-surface. For example, the University of South Florida College of Marine Science recently reported that it found a 22 mile long undersea plume of dispersed oil at a location that raised concern about its proximity to the food chain for sea life in the waters of Florida . Other researchers have found similar evidence of such plumes.

However, according to media reports, Mr. Hayward stated yesterday that BP’s samples showed "no evidence" that oil was suspended sub-surface in this manner, going on to state that:

"The oil is on the surface. Oil has a specific gravity that's about half that of water. It wants to get to the surface because of the difference in specific gravity."

The confirmation of the presence of large quantities of oil sub-surface could help to inform clean-up and response efforts, and it is vital that there is unfettered access to all relevant data or analysis. Consequently, I ask that you provide me with the following:

1) Copies of all measurements, calculations or other supporting materials on which Mr. Hayward based his statements regarding the existence of sub-surface plumes of oil (including indications of BP’ s methodology or any observational equipment used).

2) Any additional information on which Mr. Hayward based his statements.

Please provide these materials to me no later than close of business on Friday June 4, 2010. If you have any questions or concerns, or to arrange for delivery of the requested materials, please have your staff contact Dr. Michal Freedhoff of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee staff at 202-225-2836.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey

Chairman

Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Cc: Chairman Henry Waxman

Ranking Member Joe Barton

Ranking Member Fred Upton

Markey to BP: Lack of Operational Clarity During "Top Kill" Highlights Need for All Video Feeds

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Ample Video Coverage Also Needed to Assess New Flow Following Cutting of Riser Pipe, Says Chairman

May 31, 2010-- Citing the lag time in information given to the public during the failed "top kill" attempt to seal the still-spilling BP oil well, and some discrepancies in camera angles and availability during those operations, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today reiterated his desire for complete transparency from BP regarding the video feeds from their company's underwater operations.

"We cannot tolerate any delay or gaps in our understanding of the spill site, given that thousands of barrels of oil are spewing forth each day into the gulf, with catastrophic long-term consequences," writes Rep. Markey in a letter to BP America head Lamar McKay. "We need to see for ourselves in real time the effects of the severing of the pipe and to be able to continue to monitor that situation throughout the crisis."

As BP readies to sever the sunken riser pipe in advance of the new strategy to attach a new containment effort, Rep. Markey expresses particular concern in the letter about obtaining an accurate assessment of the rate of the spill after the riser is cut. While BP has asserted there should be no change in the flow of oil, Obama administration officials and others have expressed skepticism regarding that prediction, as the bent riser was potentially providing counteractive force on the spill, reducing the size.

"As I and others have noted to you repeatedly, getting an accurate assessment of flow rate is essential for crafting an appropriate spill response—therefore it is equally essential that video data be available to us all, including the flow rate technical committee and other outside experts, for full evaluation of the true situation," writes Markey in the letter.

The full text of the letter is pasted below:

# # #

May 31, 2010

Mr. Lamar McKay

President and CEO

BP America, Inc.

510 Westlake Park Boulevard

Houston, Texas 70779

Dear Mr. McKay:

Last week, on May 24, I wrote a letter to you regarding the need for BP to maintain complete transparency regarding its operations to stop the flow of oil at the Deepwater Horizon accident site, 5000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. As I noted in that letter, BP is capturing live footage from multiple cameras at the accident site and in order to get a clear picture of the true situation, the American public and the news media needs to be able to see all cameras operating in real time, in the same way that BP executives and engineers, and others involved in accident operations, are able to see such operations. There is no excuse for not providing us this basic information.

The need for such information was apparent during the recent "top kill" operation, when BP suspended pumping of mud at certain points of the project, attempted to use "bridging material" as part of a "junk shot" and made numerous other tactical decisions during the process, without providing clarity to the public and news media at the time such decisions were happening. That is unacceptable, given the very high stakes involved in this disaster and the right we all have to know whether your actions are proceeding according to plan and as projected. There cannot be any delay or gaps in our understanding of this situation, given that thousands of barrels of oil are spewing forth each day into the gulf, with catastrophic long-term consequences.

Therefore, I am reiterating my request that, from now on, all cameras be made available in live streaming feed to the public and news media. In this regard, I note that the view of the feed does not always seem to include all cameras, since at times camera shots appear on the single live feed that is publicly available, but do not also appear on the multi-camera view screen you have provided to me. BP should not be controlling the view the American public has of this disaster in our ocean.

Yesterday, BP Executive Bob Dudley suggested that the severing of the broken marine riser from the blowout preventer would likely not change "significantly" the rate of oil flowing from the well. However, government representatives, including Assistant to the President, Carol M. Browner, have suggested that severing of the riser pipe could increase the flow by up to 20%. As I have communicated to you repeatedly, getting an accurate estimate of the flow rate is essential in ensuring an appropriate spill response—therefore it is equally essential that video data be available to us all, including the flow rate technical group and other outside experts, for full evaluation of the true situation. All parties need to see for themselves in real time the effects of the severing of the pipe and to be able to continue to monitor that situation throughout the crisis.

I want to continue to make clear that in seeking such live video feed, I do not want to compromise operations or affect the integrity of the video feed. However, I believe that the streaming that you have provided to date has demonstrated that you are able to provide such feeds without any such effects.

Finally, I am reiterating my request that all video be time-stamped and dated, available in easy to access, multiple formats and that it all be archived, with the archived footage being provided to me as soon as possible. It was my understanding from your staff that such archived footage would be provided to me immediately after the "top kill" operation. I have not received any such footage. As we continue to investigate all aspects of BP’s response to this crisis, in the days and weeks ahead, access to this information will be critical to ensuring that we have nothing less than the complete picture.

I would appreciate your prompt response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey

Chairman

Subcommittee on Energy and Environment

Clean Energy Consortium Pilot Program Passes House

Fri, 28 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Program Derived from Waxman-Markey Bill Will Help Get Clean Energy Innovations from Lab to Marketplace

May 28, 2010 – A pilot program to create a Clean Energy Consortium, which would link research universities, national labs, industry, and other state and nongovernmental organizations with expertise in clean energy development, today passed the House of Representatives as an amendment the science and technology research bill, America COMPETES. The program, authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.), is based on a program originally included in the House-passed Waxman-Markey clean energy bill.

“Clean Energy Consortia will link inventors with investors, professors with producers, and get clean energy technologies out of the laboratories and into factories,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “We need our energy R&D to help create more American GDP. These centers will do just that.”

“The passage of the Clean Energy Consortium program will ensure that new clean energy technologies and innovations can move from the laboratory to the market,” said Rep. Capps. “Half of the growth in GDP since WWII is attributable to the adoption of new technology. Getting new technologies to market is essential to maintaining our economic competitiveness.”

The program would support the development of energy technologies through a Clean Energy Consortium selected competitively by the Secretary of Energy. The Consortium would be regionally based and include large research universities, government labs, industry, and other organizations with expertise in clean energy development. A grant would be available for up to $10 million per year for three years to establish and operate a Clean Energy Consortium.

The idea has received endorsements from Technet, the National Venture Capital Association, the Clean Economy Network, the New England Clean Energy Council, and other groups focused on regional innovation.

Markey, Biggert, McNerney, Eshoo Introduce Bipartisan Electric Vehicle Bill

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

May 25, 2010 – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) along with Reps. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), today announced the introduction of the Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act of 2010. The legislation will help create jobs and end our dependence on foreign oil by providing incentives to consumers to purchase electric vehicles, grants to selected communities to demonstrate widespread deployment of electric vehicles, and other measures to incentivize both deployment and domestic production of the needed vehicle components and charging infrastructure.

“The Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act will lead to a surge in job creation, help consumers, recharge our economy and greatly enhance our national and environmental security,” said Markey. “We import most of the oil we use, much of it from countries that seek to do us harm. The catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is yet another reminder that it’s time for America to start driving toward a clean energy future, and electric vehicles can help power the way.

“From plug-in hybrids to all-electric cars, the auto industry is moving quickly to meet consumer demand for more efficient vehicles that cost less to fuel up,” said Biggert, a senior member of the House Science and Technology Committee. “Thanks to these innovations, America is making great strides toward reducing emissions and cutting our dependence on expensive foreign oil. But our electric and transportation infrastructure must keep pace with technology. The Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act will accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles and put new energy technologies within reach of more consumers and motorists. It also will help regional communities establish themselves as models for the development and installation of the next generation of transportation infrastructure, including public charging stations. I look forward to working with my colleague, Chairman Markey, to advance this legislation and help put America’s transportation system on the fast track to electrification.”

Said Rep. Eshoo: “Our nation has been developing electric vehicles since the days of Thomas Edison. Sadly, he gave up on his dream, but Ed Markey and I have not given up on ours. The Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act builds on the work we did in the House passed American Clean Energy and Security Act, which includes electric vehicle provisions, and it contains my bill H.R. 1742, to ensure that our nation develops the infrastructure necessary to ensure electric vehicles are a reality. The bill we are introducing today will make it possible to drive an electric vehicle from Menlo Park, New Jersey to Menlo Park, California spurring innovation and job creation along the way.”

Said Rep. McNerney: “This is a critical time to work with my colleagues to author the Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act, bipartisan legislation that will help advance the widespread use of electric vehicles. There’s great potential for economic growth and job creation in this field and, right now with such high unemployment, it’s more important than ever to lay the groundwork for these new opportunities. I look forward to our continued efforts to advance this legislation.”

Highlights of the Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Act include:

The Secretary of Energy will competitively award $800 million to 5 different deployment communities around the country, with the objective of deploying 700,000 electric vehicles in those communities within six years.
At least $2,000 in additional consumer incentives for the first 100,000 consumers purchasing electric vehicles in these communities would be provided.
All Americans would continue to be eligible for the electric vehicle tax credit, which reduces the prices of an electric vehicle by up to $7500, and additionally, tax credits of the costs of purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging equipment for individuals (up to $2000) or businesses (up to $50,000 for multiple equipment purchases) would be extended.
Additional research, development, deployment and manufacturing incentives are provided for technologies that enable the widespread deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Markey: Flow Rate Report Shines Light on BPaEUR(TM)s Financial Liability, True Size of Spill

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Markey Releases Documents Showing BP Low-balled Flow Rate; Lower Spill Estimate Means Lower Financial Liability for Company

May 27, 2010 – Following the release of a report on the flow rate of the oil spill by a technical team assembled by the Obama administration, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today continued to raise questions about BP’s potential motivations to low-ball the flow rate and size of the spill, and released new documents showing BP knew the spill could have been much bigger than they claimed.

The report, conducted by the National Incident Command’s Flow Rate Technical Group, found that the spill was likely between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels a day, far above the 1,000-5,000 barrels a day BP estimated for most of the spill’s duration. Rep. Markey has engaged with numerous independent scientists on this issue who claimed the spill was much larger than BP’s estimates.

“Now we know what we always knew—this spill is much larger than BP has claimed,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “What’s clear is that BP has had an interest in low-balling the size of their accident, since every barrel spilled increases how much they could be fined by the government.”

Yesterday Rep. Markey pressed this point with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, citing documents he obtained from BP that showed BP knew as early as a week after the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig that the spill could have been much higher than their initial estimate of 1,000 barrels. Secretary Salazar agreed with Rep. Markey that BP could have a financial interest in underestimating the size of the spill.

The documents can be found HERE and HERE.

One document, dated April 27, shows that BP’s high estimate for the daily rate of the spill was 14,266 barrels per day, well within the midrange of today’s technical group report. Yet one day later, BP was asserting to the public that the spill was only 1,000 barrels a day – their low estimate for the size of the spill.

The implications for BP’s financial liability are directly tied to the size of the spill. Under current law -- the Clean Water Act as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, following the Exxon Valdez disaster -- a company that spills oil is subject to fines up to $1,000 per barrel, or up to $3,000 per barrel in the case of gross negligence.

For BP, the difference between an estimate of 1,000 barrels per day and one of 14,000 barrels a day could really be the difference between $5 to $15 million per day in fines versus $14 to $42 million per day. That means, at the end of yesterday, the 37th day of the spill, the difference could potentially be between $37 million in fines or $1.5 billion in fines, according to BP’s own estimates from the documents.

According to the range reached by the technical group today, BP could be subject to between $444 million and $2.1 billion in potential fines for the oil spilled thus far.

“BP has to stop protecting their liability and start dealing with the reality of the size of this spill,” said Rep. Markey. “Knowing the size of the spill is vital to all facets of this spill, from response to recovery to accountability.”

Markey: BP Agrees to Markey Demand, Will Show Live Feed of Top Kill

Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

May 25, 2010 – Responding to pressure from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), BP tonight agreed to continue to show a live feed of the attempt to plug the oil spill as the company attempts the so-called “top kill” measure.

Rep. Markey, after learning from BP of its intent to kill the live video feed, earlier today demanded that the company keep the feed going. That press release can be found here.

Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee:

“BP made the right decision to allow the public to see this potentially historical event for themselves. The hopes of millions of Americans rest on this effort, and the world deserves a first-hand view of the top kill attempt.

“BP should now take the next step and make the full 12 possible video feeds available to the public, not just one single feed.”

Markey: BP to Kill Top Kill Video Feed; BP Says to American People aEUR~The Solution Will Not Be TelevisedaEUR(TM)

Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

After Releasing Public Video Feed, BP Blackout for Well Termination Attempt

May 25, 2010 – After pushing BP into providing a live feed of the spill at the bottom of the ocean, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today learned that BP will terminate the live feed during BP’s pivotal attempt to seal the well this week. BP informed Rep. Markey’s office that the live feed would be terminated some time early Wednesday morning, and would continue to be offline until after the attempt at the so-called “top kill” is completed.

“It is outrageous that BP would kill the video feed for the top kill. This BP blackout will obscure a vital moment in this disaster,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “After more than a month of spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP is essentially saying to the American people the solution will not be televised.”

Last week, after Rep. Markey’s request, BP agreed to provide live footage of the subsea spill operations. Rep. Markey first provided a live link to the accident site a few minutes before 1:30 PM EST on Thursday, May 20. Demand for the video from the public and the news media was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of people visited the Select Committee Web site in the first 24 hours. The Energy and Commerce Committee was also able to provide access to the feeds due to Rep. Markey's request.

According to a BP technical video released yesterday, many of the preparations for the top kill attempt have already been completed. Therefore, Rep. Markey questioned today why the actual attempt to plug the leaking well could not be shown to the American public.

“No one wants to interfere with the operations during the top kill. With those preparations mostly done, now the world should see whether or not this strategy works, and we should see it in real time,” said Rep. Markey.

Rep. Markey yesterday had also asked BP to provide all 12 available feeds from the accident site, and yesterday released a YouTube video showing the differences between the one feed the public has been allowed to see and the 12 possible feeds available to BP. To view this video, click HERE.

Markey Queries FDA on Dispersants in Fish, Food Chain

Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

With Continued Use of Chemicals, Chairman Asks for Details on Monitoring Regime, Human Health Impacts

May 25, 2010 – In light of continued use of chemical oil dispersants by BP, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today asked the Food and Drug Administration for information on how Gulf seafood that could be purchased and eaten by humans will be monitored for potential long-term exposure to chemicals.

“I am concerned that because these toxic chemicals were not intended to be used for such long durations, and were not intended to be used at such depths, there could be serious and unknown long-term consequences for the marine ecosystem, the food chain and human health,” Rep. Markey writes in a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.

“The FDA has an important role to play in monitoring the impact of the spill and the dispersants being used on our food supply, as the Gulf Coast fisheries will not recover from this disaster unless the public has confidence in the safety of seafood from the Gulf,” Rep. Markey explained.

The full letter is available, CLICK HERE to read.

At a briefing last week before the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which Rep. Markey chairs, ocean scientists, including experts in toxicology, expressed concern regarding the long-term effects of these chemicals on fish and other marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. They also explained that there were unknown consequences for human health as these animals consumed each other up the food chain, leading to human consumption of fish or other seafood from the Gulf.

In the letter today, Rep. Markey asks for additional information from the FDA on the monitoring and testing of seafood and other marine life for the presence of these chemicals, and the federal standards that exist to protect the public from consuming contaminated seafood.

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency directed BP to reduce its use of dispersants, including the known-toxic chemical formulation called Corexit. However, BP will continue to use the dispersant at the sea floor to disperse the oil. To date, more than 800,000 gallons of dispersant have been applied either on the surface of the Gulf or at the spill source.

Markey Statement on EPA Dispersant Announcement

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

May 24, 2010 – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that BP’s analysis on the effects from using oil dispersants was flawed, directed the company to reduce the use of Corexit dispersants for surface applications because it has been shown to be ineffective, and ordered BP to continue to search for less toxic substances in consultation with EPA scientists. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, who first raised these concerns last week, released the following statement:

“Just like many aspects of their spill response, BP gets an ‘F’ on its analysis of dispersants, and EPA has rightly told it to redo its assignment and this time, show all its work.

“Despite the assertions made by BP that dispersants can be safely used, we know almost nothing about the potential harm from the long-term use of any of these chemicals on the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico, and even less about their potential to enter the food chain and ultimately harm humans.

“Last Friday, I held a briefing with scientists who said that there were more unknown than known effects from these chemicals. I share their unease. However, BP 's failure to assure the safety of its drilling operations has left the government with no silver bullets and almost no good choices. I will continue to work with a dedicated EPA to study these chemicals and ensure that we are not causing another crisis while trying to mitigate the effects of this catastrophic leak.”

Markey to BP: Make All Video Feeds Available

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BP Still Not Showing All Feeds; Chairman Releases New Footage, YouTube Example of BP's Multiple Video Capabilities

May 24, 2010 -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today called on BP to ensure that the public has full access to all video footage from the sea floor. After coaxing BP to provide a live feed of the undersea operations at the leak site and surrounding area, Rep. Markey today also asked BP to make public all 12 possible feeds. He noted that the current single camera shot, available through BP’s or Chairman Markey’s Web sites, does not show the full range of oil leaks and activities.

“BP currently has the ability to view several video images from the ocean floor at one time, using as many as 12 cameras,” writes Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, in a letter to BP. “It is incumbent upon BP to at least provide the American public with a complete and accurate picture of the situation as it unfolds.”

In addition to calling for access to multiple video screens, the letter also raised questions on time stamp information and whether the footage would be archived for the public.

The letter sent to BP America CEO Lamar McKay can be found by clicking HERE.

Last week, after Rep. Markey’s request, BP agreed to provide live footage of the subsea spill operations. Rep. Markey first provided a live link to the accident site a few minutes before 1:30 PM EST on Thursday, May 20. Demand for the video from the public and the news media was overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of people visited the Select Committee (www.globalwarming.house.gov) Web site in the first 24 hours. The Energy and Commerce Committee was also able to provide access to the feeds due to Rep. Markey's request.

To show the discrepancies in the available footage and the provided footage, Rep. Markey released a YouTube video showing the multi-screen images that have been provided to his office, featuring video of multiple leak sites on the ocean floor.

To view BP’s multi-screen camera views, and other not-yet-seen footage, please click HERE.

In the letter, Rep. Markey made clear that he did not want the public viewing to interfere with operations by BP and others in any way. However, he did stress the need to make all archived footage of BP’s containment dome effort, the upcoming “Top Kill” and other attempts to kill the well.

“This video record will be critically important to scientists and engineers who can learn from BP efforts as they develop new technologies to stop deep water oil spills,” said Rep. Markey.

Markey: BPaEUR(TM)s $500 Million Research Fund Will Aid Independent Scientists

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Friday Request from Chairman Markey Leads to Huge Commitment from BP Today; Halliburton, Transocean Should Also Contribute, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (May 24, 2010) – Following a written request on Friday from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) to the companies responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico to establish a fund for scientists and researchers, BP today pledged to donate $500 million to create such a fund. This fund follows the intent of Rep. Markey’s suggestion to assist independent, objective scientists in developing solutions to halt the flow of oil, monitor the spill and assess the ecological impacts on the Gulf.

“The more oil that is spilled, the more we will need our best minds working on this problem. Science will help plug this well and end this crisis, and this fund will help scientists plug the holes in our knowledge of the accident, the solutions, and the ecological damage that will result from this disaster,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

On Friday, Rep. Markey sent a letter to BP America CEO Lamar McKay, Transocean CEO Steve Newman, and Halliburton CEO David Lesar. To view a copy of the letter, please CLICK HERE.

Rep. Markey called this scientist fund the Surface and Underwater Research Fund, or “SURF”, and asked the three companies involved in the spill to provide the money for the fund. While BP has committed to donating these funds today, Halliburton and Transocean have yet to do so.

“This fund should not decrease the liability of these companies, but it will help increase the potential livability of the Gulf of Mexico following this spill,” said Rep. Markey.

Markey: Raft of Unknowns on Oil Dispersants Leave No Good Choices

Sun, 23 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

As BP Resists EPA's Directive on Chemicals, Questions Remain on Alternatives

May 23, 2010 -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who raised questions on the oil dispersants used by BP to battle the oil spill three days before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency directed BP to use less toxic alternatives, today issued the following statement on BP's apparent refusal to meet the directive:

"BP 's failure to assure the safety of its drilling operations has left the government with no silver bullets and almost no good choices.

"While we know the chemical BP has been using is more toxic to aquatic life than other options, the reality is we know almost nothing about the potential harm from the long-term use of any of these chemicals on the marine environment in the Gulf of Mexico, and even less about their potential to enter the food chain and ultimately harm humans.

"On Friday, I held a briefing with independent scientists assessing the long-term impacts in the Gulf. What is most frightening about the long-term effects of the oil and the dispersant chemicals isn't what we know, it is what we just don't know.

"I will continue to do all we can to ensure that in trying to mitigate the effects of one environmental catastrophe, we don't create another."

Markey Seeks Fund for Independent Scientists Researching BP Oil Spill

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Says BP, Halliburton, Transocean Should Establish Oil Spill “SURF”-- Surface and Underwater Research Fund; Would Help End Specter of Conflict of Interest

May 21, 2010 - Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) sent a letter to the companies responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico urging the creation of an independent fund for outside scientists and researchers. This fund would help independent, objective scientists develop solutions to halt the flow of oil, monitor the spill and assess the ecological impacts on the Gulf.

“We need to have all of our best minds on board and all hands on deck to confront this ongoing environmental catastrophe,” writes Rep. Markey in a letter to the heads of BP, Halliburton and Transocean. “Allowing independent scientists to sample our oceans and provide their own independent tests -- using their own laboratories -- will be critical in generating reliable and unbiased information.”

The letter was sent to BP America CEO Lamar McKay, Transocean CEO Steve Newman, and Halliburton CEO David Lesar. To view a copy of the letter, please CLICK HERE.

Rep. Markey announced the fund at a briefing he held today with top ocean and toxic scientists. The scientists noted how much was still unknown about the spill, and how additional capacity to conduct research could greatly aid their ability to assess the spill.

“Your companies bear complete responsibility for this disaster and have a duty to assist with the investigation of the causes of the spill, to implement solutions that halt the flow of oil, to monitor the spill’s location and trajectory, and to assess ecological impacts on the human, marine, and coastal populations of the oil and the oil/dispersant mixes being released,” wrote Rep. Markey to BP, Halliburton and Transocean.

Markey Lauds EPA on Oil Dispersant Announcement

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Directive to Choose Less Toxic Chemical Follows Markey Letter to EPA

May 20, 2010 -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today commended the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for ordering BP to use less toxic dispersant chemicals in the company’s cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. The company has been applying these chemicals deep underwater in an effort to mitigate the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. EPA’s announcement comes just three days after Rep. Markey sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that raised questions about the potential toxicity of the trademarked formulation, called Corexit, that BP had selected for use, and whether the chemical could be contributing to new reports of large undersea “plumes” of oil suspended thousands of feet below the water's surface.

“I commend the Obama administration for acting swiftly to address my concerns that the dispersant BP chose to use is more toxic than other available formulations,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “The effect of long-term use of dispersants on the marine ecosystem has not been extensively studied, and we need to act with the utmost of caution.”

Rep. Markey’s May 17, 2010 letter, which can be found here, noted that some formulations of Corexit, the substances being used in the Gulf of Mexico, were banned in Britain more than a decade ago due to their tested harmful effects to sea life. The letter also asks about the effects of water temperature and pressure on the chemicals, as they are currently and for the first time being used at 5,000 feet where the temperature is near freezing and the pressure of the water is extremely high. Rep. Markey also asked EPA whether these chemicals could accumulate in marine life over time, and what human health impacts could result from eating Gulf seafood.

“The tests used to measure the toxicity of dispersants involve only a 96-hour dose to the marine animals that will be exposed to them – clearly, their effects when they’re used over longer periods might be significantly more damaging,” said Rep. Markey. “The release of hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemicals into the Gulf of Mexico could be an unprecedented, large and aggressive experiment on our oceans. We must ensure that these chemicals, which are being touted as a way to mitigate the effects of the spill, first do no harm to marine life.”

Markey to Get Live Feed of BP Oil Spill on Website

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BP Acquiesces to Markey’s Request, Will Release Video Stream Tonight to Chairman

May 19, 2010 – Following a demand from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) for a live feed of the BP oil spill to be made publicly available on the web, BP said they would release the feed and it will be shown on Rep. Markey’s committee website at www.globalwarming.house.gov. The release of the live link to Rep. Markey is expected tonight.

“This may be BP’s footage, but it’s America’s ocean. Now anyone will be able to see the real-time effects the BP spill is having on our ocean,” said Rep. Markey, who conducted a briefing today with independent scientists where he reiterated the call for a video feed. “This footage will aid analysis by independent scientists blocked by BP from coming to see the spill.”

Markey sent letters earlier today to BP America’s CEO Lamar McKay asking for the footage to be made public on BP’s website. If BP could not host the footage, Rep. Markey offered to host it on his website free of charge.

“BP is going to have to pay for the cleanup of this spill and the long-term damage. Hosting this video on our website is the only freebie they’re going to get,” Rep. Markey said.

The letter sent to McKay today can be found here.

Rep. Markey has frequently queried BP for more information on the exact size of the spill and on their refusal to engage with outside scientists. Independent scientists have examined video, satellite photos and other aspects of the spill and determined that it may be much bigger than estimated. Today at a briefing Rep. Markey held in his Energy and Environment Subcommittee, independent scientists from Purdue University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said that the estimate of a 5,000 barrel per day leak was an underestimation of the flow. The scientists said with more data, they could better calculate the flow of oil from the sea floor.

"This is 4th grade math. We know the numerator here—the couple thousand barrels a day BP is siphoning out of the sunken pipe. But we still don’t know the denominator," said Rep. Markey. "BP is capturing a fraction of the oil, but they don’t know what that fraction is. By releasing this video, we’ve taken the first step towards allowing better access to the information BP has about this spill."

Markey Asks BP to Post Live Feed of Oil Leak on Website

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Public, Scientists Deserve to See All Video from Spill, Says Chairman; Markey Offers to Host Feed on Website If BP Cannot

(May 19, 2010) – In advance of hosting a congressional briefing today with independent scientists on the true size of the oil leak, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to BP America’s CEO Lamar McKay asking that the company make a live stream of video from the oil leak site publicly available to give unfettered access of the accident and recovery to scientists and the American public. BP currently has several remotely controlled submersibles taking video of the accident site 24 hours a day, but has only released a fraction of the video. Rep. Markey also sent a letter to Admiral Thad Allen of the Coast Guard on the matter.

The letters are publicly available on the web here and here.

“Allowing the public to view this video could provide our best scientists and engineers with information that could be helpful in developing much needed solutions to the ongoing oil spill, both in terms of subsea operations and surface spill response,” writes Rep. Markey in the letter. Rep. Markey chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Congress and the American public have the right to know what is happening in real time, so that they can understand and react to the situation as it develops.”

If BP cannot host the live video stream, Rep. Markey’s offered to do so on his award-winning website, www.globalwarming.house.gov, at no cost to BP. Rep. Markey suggests that all congressional committees be given the same unfettered access to the video feed.

Information on the briefing at 2 PM today is below:

The Subcommittee on Energy and Environment will hold a briefing entitled, “Sizing up the BP Oil Spill: Science and Engineering Measuring Methods,” on Wednesday, May 19, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building and online at www.energycommerce.house.gov.

WITNESSES:
Steve Wereley, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Richard Camilli, Associate Scientist, Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Michael Freilich, Director of the Earth Science Division, NASA
Frank Muller-Karger, Professor of Biological Oceanography and Remote Sensing, University of South Florida

WHEN: 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19

WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Markey Statement on New NAS Reports

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

President of NAS to Appear at Select Committee Hearing Tomorrow

May 19, 2010 – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill, and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, today released the following statement on the new scientific reports released by the National Academies of Science:

“How many more warnings do we need from scientists before we finally act as a nation to cut the dangerous pollution we create by burning oil, coal and other fossil fuels? These new reports released today yet again show that we should have acted yesterday.

“Now that the House has passed the Waxman-Markey bill, the Senate must take similar action and complete their process by the end of this year. We have no more days, weeks, months or years to lose in the effort to create more clean energy and less carbon pollution.

“Tomorrow I will host the president of the National Academies of Science to discuss these findings and the harsh politics heaped on our climate scientists. The time for debate is over, the time for action is now.”

Information on tomorrow’s hearing is below:

Washington, D.C. – The scientists involved in the stolen climate emails from the University of East Anglia were exonerated by the British House of Commons and an international panel of climate experts, led by Lord Oxburgh. Yet even after these investigations found that nothing in the emails undercut the scientific evidence of climate change, attacks against scientists continue. Reports of harassment, death threats and legal challenges have created a hostile environment, making it challenging for actual data and scientific analyses to reach the public and policymakers.

On Thursday, May 20th, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing to examine the intersection between climate science and the political process. This hearing, entitled “Climate Science in the Political Arena,” will feature prominent climate scientists, some of whom have been the target of these attacks. This hearing will explore scientists’ ability to present data and information that can guide global warming solutions in a sometimes fierce political landscape.

WHAT: Climate Science in the Political Arena

WHEN: Thursday May 20, 2010, 9:00 AM

WHERE: 1334 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC and online.

WITNESS LIST:
Dr. Ralph Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences and Chair of the National Research Council
Dr. Mario Molina, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Professor, University of California at San Diego
Dr. Stephen Schneider, Professor, Stanford University
Dr. Ben Santer, Research Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Dr. William Happer, Professor, Princeton University

President Appointing Independent Oil Spill Commission

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

Markey Statement on President Appointing Independent Oil Spill Commission

Follows Legislation Introduced by Chairman Markey, Rep. Capps

WASHINGTON (May 17, 2010) – Following legislation introduced by Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.), President Obama will appoint an independent commission to look into the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and make recommendations to avoid such disasters in the future.

"Whether it’s a nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island or an oil blowout one mile deep, appointing an independent review panel is critical to reduce the risks of future accidents," said Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "Following the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, President Carter appointed an independent panel to investigate the cause of the meltdown and recommend safety improvements. President Obama creating an independent blue-ribbon panel on this oil spill will help provide the recommendations to ensure that similar disasters do not happen again."

Reps. Markey and Capps introduced the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Inquiry Commission Act of 2010 (H.R. 5241) on May 6, 2010.

# # #

Next Hearing 5/20: Climate Science in the Political Arena

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Select Committee hearing to examine attacks against climate scientists

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE NOW

The scientists involved in the stolen climate emails from the University of East Anglia were exonerated by the British House of Commons and an international panel of climate experts, led by Lord Oxburgh. Even after these investigations found that nothing in the emails undercut the scientific evidence of climate change, attacks against scientists continue. Reports of harassment, death threats and legal challenges have created a hostile environment, making it challenging for actual data and scientific analyses to reach the public and policymakers.

WHAT: Climate Science in the Political Arena

WHEN: Thursday May 20, 2010, 9:00 AM

WHERE: 1334 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC and online

WITNESS LIST:

Dr. Ralph Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences and Chair of the National Research Council
Dr. Mario Molina, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Professor, University of California at San Diego
Dr. Stephen Schneider, Professor, Stanford University
Dr. Ben Santer, Research Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Dr. William Happer, Professor, Princeton University

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE NOW

Markey to EPA on Oil Dispersants: How Toxic, How Effective?

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Questions Arise on Chemicals Used in Gulf Spill, Including Link to Giant Undersea Oil Plumes

(May 17, 2010) Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today queried the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the dangers of applying oil-dispersing chemicals deep underwater as an effort to mitigate the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. In the letter sent to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Rep. Markey raises questions about the potential toxicity of the trademarked formulation, called Corexit, and whether the chemical could be contributing to new reports of large undersea “plumes” of oil suspended thousands of feet below the water's surface.

“The release of hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemicals into the Gulf of Mexico could be an unprecedented, large and aggressive experiment on our oceans,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is conducting an extensive investigation into the spill. “The information regarding the chemical composition, efficacy and toxicity of the dispersants currently being used is scarce.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.

On the first question of the levels of toxicity of the dispersant chemicals, Rep. Markey notes that some formulations of Corexit, the substances being used in the Gulf of Mexico, were banned in Britain more than a decade ago due to their tested harmful effects to sea life. Rep. Markey also asks for information on the eighteen dispersants EPA has approved for use, including a ranking of their efficacy and toxicity.

The letter also asks about the effects of water temperature and pressure on the chemicals, as they are currently and for the first time being used at 5,000 feet where the temperature is near freezing and the pressure of the water is extremely high.

Recent reports from independent scientists have told of large, undersea oil “plumes.” Instead of rising to the surface, large clouds of oil are currently suspended thousands of feet below the ocean and are found at various depths within the water column, making the issue of quantifying the spill much more difficult.

Citing concerns of scientists that the formation of these plumes may be linked to the use of dispersants, Rep. Markey asks whether EPA considered this scenario for the interaction of the dispersants with the oil plume when applied at the depth of the Deepwater Horizon leak.

Finally, Rep. Markey asks EPA whether these chemicals could accumulate in marine life over time, and what human health impacts could result from eating Gulf seafood.

Markey Statement on Limited Success of Oil Spill Siphon Technique

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In response to reports that the insertion of a siphon pipe has had indications of potential success diverting some of the leaking oil from the BP spill to oil tankers, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment in the Energy and Commerce Committee, and also chair of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming issued the following statement:

"While this may be a promising development, I don't think we should get our hopes up until we know for sure that all of the oil is staying down.

"With reports of miles-long undersea clouds of oil floating around the Gulf of Mexico, and the very real possibility that more oil has been spilled than previously estimated, this crisis is far from over.

"I look forward to seeing what additional steps BP, Haliburton and Transocean take to address this disaster."

Markey: BP Burying Heads in Sand on Underwater Plumes, Oil Flow

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

BP Refuses to Provide Information on Size of Flow to Chairman Markey; Resists Help From Scientists; Markey Calls for Release of More Video to Aid Independent Analysis

Even as independent scientific reports surface on the presence of giant underwater plumes of oil emanating from BP's sunken, damaged oil pipe, the oil company continued to reject the involvement of outside scientists to assist in the assessment of the size of the leak. The refusal comes as BP attempts for a third time to siphon oil from the leaking pipe on the sea floor.

BP also failed today to provide any useful information to Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) who queried the company on Friday about its estimates on the rate of the flow and its continued refusal to engage with independent scientists, giving a 24 hour deadline for a response. A BP spokesman was quoted today in the New York Times as saying, "We're not going to take any extra efforts now to calculate flow there at this point."

"BP is burying its head in the sand on these underwater threats. These huge plumes of oil are like hidden mushroom clouds that indicate a larger spill than originally thought and portend more dangerous long-term fallout for the Gulf of Mexico's wildlife and economy," said Rep. Markey, chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment in the Energy and Commerce Committee. "We must bring this spill to an end and prepare for additional impacts from oil yet unseen."

Following an empty response from BP today to Rep. Markey's Friday query, which asked for documents and explanations related to the estimate of a 5,000 barrel per day flow from the leak, Rep. Markey called on BP to immediately release additional video to help scientists remotely begin a more robust independent analysis. Late last week, staff from Rep. Markey's office discussed with scientists ways to analyze the rate of flow from the leak. The scientists said the release of additional video of the leak, ideally an hour or more, could help to provide a more accurate judge of the size of the leak.

"Up until now, BP has relied on satellite information to determine the size of the leak. But if there are plumes under the waves, how can they just wave off the possibility that there is more oil than meets the eye?" asked Rep. Markey. "There is no invasion of privacy in releasing more video of the oil leak, only a risk of more invasive oil from a larger-than-estimated spill."

Markey, Capps Push for Creation of Independent, Non-partisan Commission to Investigate Causes of Oil Spill

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Would Make Recommendations on the Impacts and Risks of Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 6, 2010) - Today, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) announced they will be introducing legislation to create an independent, non-partisan, “blue-ribbon” commission to investigate the causes of the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and provide the President, Congress, and the public with recommendations to avoid such disasters in the future. The commission would serve as an important long-term addition to the Obama administration’s excellent short-term efforts to investigate and respond to the Gulf spill.

The commission would also be tasked with providing Congress with a full understanding of the consequences of this spill and possible future incidents to sensitive and ecologically important areas, as well as the economic impacts to ocean and coastal communities. Additionally, the commission would have subpoena power and the ability to hold public hearings, including in the Gulf region.

“Following the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, President Carter appointed an independent panel, called the Kemeny Commission, to investigate the cause of the meltdown and recommend safety improvements. President Obama’s administration and Congress are already conducting a comprehensive, robust investigation into this accident. Appointing an independent blue-ribbon panel will help provide the recommendations to ensure that similar disasters do not happen again,” said Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Whether it’s meltdown at Three Mile Island or a blowout one mile deep, appointing an independent review panel is an important part of reducing the risks of future accidents.”

“As 200,000 gallons of oil per day continue to spill into the Gulf Mexico, it’s becoming painfully clear that the economic, ecological and public health effects of this spill could dwarf any environmental disaster in our nation’s history. But this disaster will be all the more tragic if we fail to learn from it,” said Capps. “The President and his administration swiftly responded to the spill from day one, mobilizing the government’s resources to attempt to minimize the harm to the Gulf Coast. Now it’s time to ensure a complete examination of the spill and its aftermath by appointing an independent, nonpartisan commission to assess the causes and damages and make recommendations to prevent future tragedies.”

Similar commissions have been convened in the past to investigate disasters including the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island and the Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion.

Markey Calls on BP, NOAA to Use Woods Hole, Other Independent ScientistsaEUR..aEUR..

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Following revelations from independent scientists that the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may be larger than current estimate, Congressman Ed Markey is calling on BP and NOAA to immediately engage with outside experts.

“We must start to get a handle on the size of the spill so that we can adequately prepare to protect families in coastal communities from the damage that is heading their way,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is conducting an investigation into the spill. “BP has turned away outside experts armed with scientific instruments that can help get an accurate measurement of the leak. After weeks of escalating failure we can no longer afford to have outside experts sitting on the sideline."

The estimates of the BP oil spill have grown from 1,000 barrels a day to 5,000 barrels a day, and now could potentially be 70,000 barrels a day. Understanding the scope of the problem is critical to finding a solution and preparing businesses in the Gulf, including the fishing and tourism industries, from the fallout.

Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts have instruments that can take measurements of the leak using acoustic technology. This straightforward technique can help determine the velocity of the leak and the volume of oil that is spilling into the Gulf.

On Friday, Rep. Markey sent a letter to BP asking a series of questions aimed at getting an accurate assessment of the oil spill's size.

“With each day that passes, the American people are becoming increasingly angry with the companies responsible,” said Rep. Markey. “We need to know how much oil is leaking and that every possible resource is being deployed to get the leak stopped.”

Markey to BP: How Much Oil?

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Sends Investigatory Letter to BP to Gauge True Size of Flow

Following several independent analyses reported in the media indicating a daily flow upwards of 70,000 barrels of oil from the Gulf of Mexico BP spill, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today sent an investigatory letter to BP to ask about the actual size of the flow and how it could hamper efforts to stop and contain the spewing oil in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The public needs to know the answers to very basic questions: how much oil is leaking into the Gulf and how much oil can be expected to end up on our shores and our ocean environment?” asks Rep. Markey in the letter. Rep. Markey chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is leading an investigation into the spill. “I am concerned that an underestimation of the flow may be impeding the ability to solve the leak and handle management of the disaster. We have already had one estimate that grossly underestimated the amount of oil being released and we cannot afford to have another,” Rep. Markey continues in the letter.

At the first Congressional engagement on the matter held by Rep. Markey on Tuesday, May 4th, with BP, Transocean and Halliburton, BP officials responded to a question from Rep. Markey about a worst-case scenario, saying that a maximum estimated flow would be 60,000 barrels a day, with a mid-range estimate of 40,000 barrels a day.

And on Wednesday, testimony from the companies before the Energy and Commerce Committee focused on an estimate of 5,000 barrels a day.

The questions Rep. Markey asks in the letter are listed below. The full text of the letter can be found here.

Prior to the incident, did BP already have an estimate of the maximum amount of oil that could be expected to flow from this well under normal conditions?
What was the basis for this estimate?
Please provide all documents that relate to the amount of oil that could be expected to flow from this well, including any estimates of profits that this well was projected to generate.
What is the BP method and scientific basis for the estimate of 5,000 barrels per day? Was this estimate based solely on surface monitoring of the size of the spill?
Were all or any of the latest methods that are available today for estimating the amount of such a spill employed?
Please provide all documents created since the incident occurred that bear on, or relate to, in any way, estimates of the amount of oil being released.
What is the basis, if any, for the worst case estimate of approximately 60,000 barrels per day provided to the Energy and Commerce Committee during a May 4th briefing?
Was BP, as has been reported in the press, offered an opportunity to use the latest technology for estimating the volume of oil flowing from the pipe?
Did BP accept or refuse any such offers and has BP used the latest technology to estimate the volume of oil flowing from the well?
Has BP used any subsurface technology to estimate the amount of oil flowing from the well? If so, please provide the results of any such efforts.
Is it accurate to suggest as BP Vice President Kent Wells did recently that "There's just no way to measure it?" If so, then does BP stand behind the current estimates of the amount of oil flowing or not?
Could an increased flow from the riser pipe affect proposed or attempted efforts to stop the flow of oil, such as the failed containment dome strategy, the so called "junk shot” strategy, attempts to place an additional pipe into the riser, and the drilling of relief wells for plugging the well bore?
Please indicate for the record BP's current estimate of the amount of oil flowing from the well and provide the basis and methodology for that estimate, along with any uncertainty or error ranges for the estimate.
BP has suggested in press reports that it is focused on closing the leak, rather than in measuring it. Are efforts to close the leak inconsistent with efforts to measure its volume? Why wouldn’t such efforts actually be complementary?
Using estimates of 5,000 barrels per day, 40,000 barrels per day and 70,000 barrels per day, and further assuming that the leak continues for another 60 days, what is the projected extent of the spill in square miles and the amount of Gulf coastline in miles that would potentially be affected by such a spill?

The figure of 70,000 barrels a day was reported by National Public Radio, and was reached through calculations by a Purdue University professor, utilizing a technique called particle image velocimetry to determine the volume of the flow. NPR reported the method is accurate to a degree of plus or minus 20 percent, meaning the flow could range between 56,000 barrels a day and 84,000 barrels a day. A separate analysis performed by a Florida State University scientist indicates that the spill could easily be “four or five times” larger than the 5,000 barrel a day estimate, the New York Times reported. Other reports have also indicated there could be increased flow.

Markey to Seek Answers on Oil Spill's Worst-Case Scenario Coming True

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Independent Experts Indicate Oil Spill Flow Could Exceed Previous BP Worst-Case by 10,000 Barrels a Day

In response to independent analyses reported in the media indicating a daily flow upwards of 70,000 barrels of oil from the Gulf of Mexico BP spill, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said he would launch a formal inquiry into the matter to determine how extreme the oil spill has become and if additional measures are needed for a worsening of the spill or improvements to the solutions to the continued disaster. At the first Congressional engagement on the matter held by Rep. Markey on Tuesday, May 4th, with BP, Transocean and Halliburton, BP officials responded to a question from Rep. Markey about a worst-case scenario, responding that a maximum estimated flow would be 60,000 barrels a day, with a mid-range estimate of 40,000 barrels a day.

Just yesterday, testimony from the companies before the Energy and Commerce Committee focused on an estimate of 5,000 barrels a day.

"This spill has gone from 1,000 barrels a day to 5,000 barrels a day, and now could potentially be 70,000 barrels a day. I am concerned that an underestimation of the oil spill's flow may be impeding the ability to solve the leak and handle the management of the disaster," said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is conducting an investigation into the spill. "If you don't understand the scope of the problem, the capacity to find the answer is severely compromised. Did an increased flow prevent the dome from working? Do we need more robust recovery efforts? These are answers we need, and we needed them yesterday."

Rep. Markey will send a formal letter of inquiry tomorrow to BP--and seek additional verification from federal agencies--asking about the methods used to determine the total volume of the oil emanating from the sunken drilling pipe, called the riser, and what the results of those analyses have been. The investigatory letter will also ask how an increased flow could affect potential solutions to the oil spill, such as the failed containment dome and the proposals to drill directly into the riser or shoot golf balls and shredded tires into the blowout preventor.

The figure of 70,000 barrels a day was reported by National Public Radio, and was done by a professor from Purdue University, utilizing a technique called particle image velocimetry to determine the volume of the flow. NPR reported the method is accurate to a degree of plus or minus 20 percent, meaning the flow could range between 56,000 barrels a day and 84,000 barrels a day. A separate analysis performed by a Florida State University scientist indicates that the spill could easily be "four or five times" larger than the 5,000 barrel a day estimate, the New York Times reported.

Markey Statement on Kerry-Lieberman Clean Energy Bill

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Following the introduction of the American Power Act by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.), Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, issued the following statement on the Senate bill:

“Senators Kerry and Lieberman, along with contributions from Senator Graham, have created an important energy and climate bill that continues the momentum towards putting a final bill on President Obama’s desk this year.

“While there are differences, the American Power Act shares the same goals with the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill. Both bills will create millions of new clean energy jobs, reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and dramatically cut the pollution that is causing climate change.

“The pollution reduction targets in the Senate and House bills are identical, highlighting the universal commitment to slash dangerous pollution before it is too late.

“I look forward to working with the Senate as they continue to modify their legislation.

“The time to act is now. We cannot wait. China is not waiting. Europe is not waiting. And the health of our economy and our environment hangs in the balance. Working with the Senate and the Obama administration, this will be the year that we finally create a lasting clean energy future for our country.”

CLICK HERE for information on the Waxman-Markey bill.

Markey: MMS Restructuring Plan Demonstrates Obama Commitment to Reform

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Salazar Reforms Continue to Positively Remake Agency

Today the Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will announce that the Minerals and Management Service department will be split into two parts: one that will provide oversight on the oil industry and another that will issue leases for drilling and recover drilling fees.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a senior member on the Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Interior Dept., issued the following statement:

“For years, the Bush administration’s oil strategy placed the granting of drilling leases ahead of safety review. This new reform of our nation’s drilling agency will finally end the Bush-era mantra of ‘Safety Second.’

“Secretary Salazar is continuing to positively reform the Interior Department to ensure the protection of both the environment and American taxpayers.

“Splitting MMS into independent safety and leasing divisions will provide the additional oversight of offshore oil and gas activities our country needs.

“This decision also shows the Obama administration’s commitment to responding to the Gulf oil spill. Their herculean short-term response is now being paired with a long-term plan to reform the way America addresses oil drilling on public lands, so that an event like this will be much less likely to occur in the future.”

Markey: Home Star a Home Run for Consumers

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Bipartisan Bill Will Create or Save up to 168,000 Jobs

CLICK HERE for more information

The Home Star program to help families upgrade their homes with energy saving efficient windows, doors and other home improvements, today passed the House of Representatives. The Home Star legislation, which is backed by President Obama, passed by a vote of 246-161.

“Home Star will be an economic home run for homeowners and home contractors everywhere, helping to shrink energy bills while creating jobs,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

“With the passage of this bipartisan bill, we are a major step closer to getting this program signed into law. This bill will create good paying jobs while saving consumers’ money and helping to end our dependence on foreign oil.”

Home Star is a program designed to help every homeowner looking for a little extra help to make their home more efficient by saving energy. The program will provide homeowners rebates for purchasing and installing more efficient windows, doors, insulation and other home improvements that will cut energy bills, while jumpstarting our manufacturing and labor sectors. In addition, 90% of the retrofit products for Home Star - windows, doors, and insulation - are manufactured in the USA.

Home Star is supported by a wide-ranging coalition that includes thousands of business, labor, environmental, and manufacturing leaders. These organizations and companies include the National Association of Manufacturers, United Steelworkers, The Service Employees International Union, Chamber of Commerce, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Owens Corning.

The Home Star program addresses several important issues facing the American economy:

JOBS: Home Star will create or save an estimated 168,000 jobs. There is currently an approximately 27 percent unemployment rate in the construction sector.

HOMEOWNERS: Home Star will help homeowners save $9.2 billion dollars on their energy bills.

ENERGY: In 2011 alone, Home Star will save an amount of electricity equivalent to four 300 megawatt power plants and an amount of natural gas and home heating oil that is the equivalent of 6.8 million barrels of heating oil.

Rep. Markey noted that while a Republican recommittal motion to the bill was adopted prior to the bill’s final passage, that motion was “a political gimmick that will be promptly stripped from the bill in conference with the Senate.”

CLICK HERE for more information

Markey to Lead Bi-Partisan Congressional Delegation to Gulf Oil Spill

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Members to Conduct Fly-Over, Visit Command Center, Meet with Affected Gulf Residents, Officials

--MEDIA AVAIL. AT HOPEDALE STAGING AREA, APPROX 3:30 PM; BOOM STAGING AND LOADING TO PRECEDE, DETAILS BELOW--

On Friday, May 7, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) will lead a bi-partisan delegation from the House of Representatives to the Gulf of Mexico to investigate the causes and effects of the Gulf oil spill, and the efforts underway to clean it up and assist those who have been affected.

The Representatives, all of whom are members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, will conduct a fly-over of the oil spill with experts from the U.S. Geological Service and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration. They will be briefed at the Unified Command Center in Robert, La. by the Coast Guard, the Department of Interior, and others. Finally, they will meet with local officials, members of the response teams, and Gulf residents and businesses who have been affected by the spill at Hopedale, La., one of the oil spill response staging areas.

WHAT: Bi-partisan Congressional Delegation investigatory visit to Gulf of Mexico oil spill

WHEN: Friday, May 7, 2010
Media availability at Hopedale, La. staging area at approx. 3:30 PM CST
7222 Hopedale Highway, Hopedale, La.
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS AND TV: Boom staging and loading approx. 2:30-2:45 PM

WHO:
The Democratic members on the CODEL are:
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee
Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.)
Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.)
Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.)
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.)

The Republican members on the CODEL include:
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), Ranking Member, Energy and Commerce Committee
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas)
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)
Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.)

WHERE: New Orleans, La.; Unified Command Center, Robert, La.; Hopedale, La. staging area

First Congressional Briefing on Oil Spill Held with BP, Transocean, Halliburton Officials

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

--MEDIA AVAILABILITY TO FOLLOW AT APPROX. 4 PM—

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) will host a members-only briefing tomorrow with officials from BP, Transocean and Halliburton on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The briefing will be followed by a media availability.

The briefing will include members of the Energy and Environment and Oversight and Investigation Subcommittees of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. Markey chairs the energy subcommittee, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) chairs the oversight subcommittee, and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) chairs the full committee.

WHAT: Congressional briefing on Gulf of Mexico oil spill with BP, Transocean and Halliburton officials, followed by media availability with members of Congress.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Briefing begins at 2 PM, media availability at approximately 4 PM.

WHERE: Briefing will occur in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building; media availability will follow in Rayburn horseshoe lobby.

Next Hearing Thursday, May 6: The Foundation of Climate Science

Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

IPCC Report Chairs, Member of Exculpatory Panel on Email Scandal Re-establish Climate Science’s Broad Knowledge, Urgency to Act

Even after months of personal attacks against climate scientists stemming from a manufactured scandal over stolen emails, the underlying science behind the need to stem the tide of heat-trapping emissions remains solid. To explain what we know about climate change, and why and how we know it, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will host top-level American climate scientists at a congressional hearing this Thursday, May 6, 2010.

The scientists will address the claims of deniers head-on. Thursday’s panel features a member of the investigative panel convened by the University of East Anglia and led by Lord Ron Oxburgh to review the stolen emails from that school’s Climactic Research Unit. The “Oxburgh Inquiry” exonerated the scientists who were attacked following the emails, saying they “saw no evidence of any deliberate scientific malpractice in any of the work.”

The hearing also includes three scientists involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, which have also been attacked by climate science deniers.

The Republican witness on the panel will be Lord Christopher Walter Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing, “The Foundation of Climate Science”

WHEN: Thursday, May 6, 2010, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 2237 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHO:
Dr. Lisa Graumlich, Director, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, and member of the “Oxburgh Inquiry” panel
Dr. Chris Field, Director, Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, and co-chair of “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” portion of new IPCC report due in 2014
Dr. James McCarthy, Professor of Biological Oceanography, Harvard University, past President and Chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, co-chair of “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” portion of IPCC report published in 2001
Dr. James Hurrell, Senior Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research, contributor to IPCC reports
Lord Christopher Monckton, Chief Policy Adviser, Science and Public Policy Institute

Markey Calls Oil CEOs to Congress

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Oil Spill in Gulf, Energy Policy, Effects of Gas Prices on Economy Prompt Request for Oil Heads

A large, growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico has been set on fire to contain the damage and is threatening the coastline. Oil profits are up. And the nation’s largest oil companies are finally coming to the table to discuss America’s energy policy.

With these multiple issues at play, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent formal notice to the heads of America’s top five oil companies to soon appear before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which Rep. Markey chairs.

“From the health of our economy to the health of our environment, it’s time for the American public to hear from the oil companies,” said Rep. Markey. “Their opinions and answers on the issues of energy policy are vital given the push in Congress to construct a comprehensive energy independence strategy for our nation.”

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which is now leaking at a rate of 5,000 barrels of oil per day, could by next week exceed the size of the Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969. This accident follows the release of thousands of miles of coastline by the Obama administration for potential new offshore drilling.

Meanwhile, gas and oil prices have continued to rise, even as American families and businesses are beginning to recover from a recession. The average price of gasoline has now crept towards three dollars, averaging nearly $2.90 per gallon, an increase of about 85 cents compared to this time last year. And driving season hasn’t even yet begun.

“Four dollar gasoline helped break our economy’s back. And now, just as we are starting a recovery, the price of gas is creeping back towards three dollars, threatening the budgets of families and small businesses across the nation,” said Rep. Markey. “We need to craft a comprehensive strategy that protects consumers, and our nation’s oil companies must join us in that effort.”

Oil profits are also up for the top five oil companies -- Exxon Mobil, BP, ConocoPhillips, Shell and Chevron. Exxon Mobil today reported a quarterly profit increase of 38 percent, or $6.3 billion. BP, which owns the sunken rig, reported a first quarter net profit of $6.08 billion, an increase of 137 percent. ConocoPhillips reported increased earnings of $2.1 billion for the first quarter. Shell announced profits of $4.8 billion, rising by 60 percent. Chevron will announce its earnings report on Friday.

The exact date and time of the hearing will be announced soon.

Markey on Cape Wind: AmericaaEUR(TM)s Energy Future Blowing in the Wind

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Historic Approval of Cape Wind Project Means America’s Energy Future Will Ride Winds of Change

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today hailed the Obama administration’s Department of Interior for approving the Cape Wind clean energy project. Now that this historic decision has been reached, offshore wind can begin to flourish up and down both coasts as a safer, cleaner way to power America.

Rep. Markey had sent multiple letters to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar over the last six months asking him to come to a final decision on the project, following a lengthy and robust environmental review.

Those letters can be found here and here.

Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming:

“With this historic decision, the answer to America’s energy future is blowing in the wind.

“The same winds that delivered the Mayflower to Massachusetts and created the Perfect Storm will now deliver a clean energy future to Massachusetts and create new jobs.

“America’s energy future can now ride the winds of change out of our dirty energy doldrums.

“I commend Secretary Salazar’s wisdom and his commitment to the environmental review process.

“On the same day that a massive oil slick is growing in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastline, the Obama administration’s Cape Wind decision shows that our country has a choice in how we capture the energy found in our oceans.

“The Obama administration is moving forward with a comprehensive offshore energy plan that will enable America to finally move beyond oil and look to the winds, the waves, the tides, and the sun to create an American-led clean energy future.”

MarkeyaEUR(TM)s Energy Independence and Global Warming Web Site Wins Gold Mouse Award

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Select Committee Website Leading the Way in New Media Communications and Social Networking

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, chaired by Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), was recognized this week by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), for having one of the best Web sites in Congress.

Chairman Markey, whose Select Committee website has previously been honored by the Webby Awards, won the Golden Dot for best eGov site, a Pollie Award and a W3 award from the International Academy of the Visual Arts was proud to add the Gold Mouse Award to the list.

“Our goal has always been to use technology to break new ground in Congressional communication, and we are honored to be recognized by the CMF with the Gold Mouse Award.” said Chairman Markey. “Fostering two-way communication and boosting transparency has helped the Select Committee connect with the public as we search for clean energy solutions.”

The CMF analyzed all 620 congressional Web sites, including those of all Senate and House Members, committees (both majority and minority sites), and official leadership sites.

The 111th Congress Gold Mouse Awards are part of CMF’s Partnership For A More Perfect Union, which seeks to improve the quality of communication between Members and their constituents. For this project CMF partnered with researchers from the Harvard Kennedy School, Northeastern University, University of California–Riverside, and the Ohio State University to study how Members of Congress can use the Internet to improve communications with their constituents and to promote greater participation in the legislative process.

“One of the key reasons for the awards is to highlight best practices so offices can improve their sites by learning from those already excelling in online communications,” said Beverly Bell, CMF’s Executive Director. “Web sites like the Select Committee’s serve as a prime example that we hope other congressional offices will follow.”

Web sites were graded on how well they incorporate five core principles that CMF identified through extensive research as critical for effectiveness: know your audience, provide timely and targeted content that meets their needs, make the site easy to use, foster interaction both on and offline, and add value through innovation.

Using these core principles, an evaluation framework was developed by CMF and their research partners, which would be fair and objective while still taking into account important qualitative factors that affect a visitor's experience on a Web site.

The 111th Congress Gold Mouse Project report, a full list winners, and other comparative data is available on CMF’s Partnership For A More Perfect Union Web site at www.pmpu.org.

Markey Statement on API "Study" on Deep Water Drilling

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

Markey Statement on API "Study" on Deep Water Drilling

WASHINGTON (April 22, 2010) – Responding to a study released by the American Petroleum Institute on oil company expenditures related to deep water drilling following the flawed 1995 Deep Water Royalty Relief Act, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) countered that while oil companies may have invested billions, they stand to make hundreds of billions from these leases, all without paying royalties due to American taxpayers from drilling on public lands.

"When it comes to oil companies paying their fare share to drill on public land, API stands for ‘avoid, prevent, and impede,’" said Rep. Markey, who has introduced a bill to recoup the fees, and will soon introduce revised legislation to the same effect. "Their argument to the American people is like a tenant saying to a landlord, ‘I paid the deposit, so I shouldn’t have to pay the rent every month.’"

The oil companies are currently avoiding paying a 12.5 percent lease rate on these areas. The Department of Interior is in the process of refunding $2.1 billion dollars to the oil companies on faulty leases granted from 1996-2000. According to an analysis by the majority staff of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which Rep. Markey chairs, these companies have already made at least $17 billion on the oil from these leases.

In the future, the Select Committee analysis shows that this drill-for-free profit will balloon as more wells start to produce. The General Accountability Office has said that the federal government stands to lose $53 billion over the next 25 years from the oil companies’ free drilling practices. That means, over the lifetime of the leases, the oil companies stand to earn roughly $425 billion in royalty-free drilling.

"The American people aren’t interested in what Big Oil companies spend. Taxpayers care about having oil companies pay their fair share to drill on public land," said Rep. Markey. "My legislation would protect American taxpayers in the future."

The DWRRA legislation was, as the API release admits, only intended to give "temporary relief" from royalties paid to the American people. The legislation was passed in 1995, when the average price of a barrel of oil was under $20.

# # #

Markey: March Was Warmest on Record

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In Like a Lion, But No Need for Lamb’s Wool Sweater…

Data released today by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that March of 2010 was the hottest on record for that month. This follows 2009 being the 5th warmest year on record, and the last decade being the warmest decade in recorded temperature history.

“March came in like a lion, but last month there was no need for a lamb’s wool sweater,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming an co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill. “Snowstorms in February led some to question the reality of global warming. Record-breaking March temperatures should send them back to the data tables.”

March’s weather is just one data point among the many showing a warming Earth and United States. In the U.S., spring arrives 10 to 14 days earlier on average than it did just 20 years ago, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program. And in the United States, daily high temperatures were broken twice as often as daily lows over the last decade.

“Direct thermometer measurements and satellite records show upward temperature trends over the last decades as heat-trapping pollution has increased in the atmosphere,” continued Rep. Markey. “Warm breezes and early spring flowers mask the serious consequences of rising global temperatures if we do not act soon to reduce the dangerous build-up of carbon pollution. That is why it is so vital that America and the world take serious action to cut heat-trapping pollution. We must show leadership by passing a bill through Congress this year.”

Markey: HomeStar Will be Home Run for Homeowners

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Bill Passes Energy and Commerce Committee, Heads to House Floor

The HomeStar program to help families retrofit their homes with more efficient windows, doors and other home improvements today passed the Energy and Commerce Committee, moving a program backed by President Obama, to a vote in the House of Representatives. The HomeStar legislation passed the committee by a vote of 30-17.

“When it is signed into law, HomeStar will be an economic home run for homeowners and home contractors everywhere,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

HomeStar is a program designed to help every homeowner looking for a little extra help to make their home more efficient by saving energy. The program will provide homeowners rebates for purchasing and installing more efficient windows, doors, insulation and other home improvements that will cut energy bills, while jumpstarting our manufacturing and labor sectors.

HomeStar is supported by a wide-ranging coalition that includes thousands of labor, environmental, manufacturing and other organizations and companies, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Natural Resources Defense Council, Change to Win and Owens Corning.

The HomeStar program addresses several important issues facing the American economy:

JOBS: HomeStar will create or save an estimated 168,000 jobs. There is currently a 27 percent unemployment rate in the construction sector.

HOMEOWNERS: HomeStar will help homeowners save $9.2 billion dollars on their energy bills.

ENERGY: In 2011 alone, HomeStar will save an amount of electricity equivalent to four 300 megawatt power plants and an amount of natural gas and home heating oil that is the equivalent of 6.8 million barrels of heating oil.

Hearing 4/14: Coal Mining CEOs to Testify Before Select Committee

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Top Two Domestic Coal Miners, Leading International Company to Answer Questions on Energy Policy, Climate Change, Challenges for Industry

For the first time in recent memory, the CEOs of America’s top two coal mining companies, and a leading international company, will come to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to answer questions on their positions on climate change, clean energy policy, and the challenges that currently face their industry.

“Just as our national energy policy is at a crossroads, so, too, is the coal industry,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, the committee that will host the CEOs on Wednesday. “Whether it’s climate science, the viability of ‘clean coal,’ or safety concerns, I believe Congress requires answers from the coal industry on their ability to be a part of our clean energy future.”

As Congress continues to push for a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill, questions remain regarding the coal industry’s position on the essential science of climate change and their potential to provide cleaner, lower-carbon fuel in the decades to come. The House-passed Waxman-Markey bill offered a pathway for coal to transition to carbon capture and sequestration technologies.

The coal mining industry has seen significant developments over the last two weeks. A mining accident in West Virginia has renewed questions about the safety of coal extraction, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has offered new rules on the environmental and health impacts of mountaintop mining.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing, “The Role of Coal in a New Energy Age”

WHO:
Gregory Boyce, President and Chief Executive Officer, Peabody Energy Corporation
Steven F. Leer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Arch Coal, Inc.
Preston Chiaro, Chief Executive for Energy and Minerals, Rio Tinto
Michael Carey, President, Ohio Coal Association

WHEN: Wednesday, April 14, 2010, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC and Online.

Markey Announces New Legislative Effort to Recover Billions of Dollars from Royalty-Free Drilling

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Following Obama Admin. Drilling Plan, Chairman Announces Legislation to Compel Oil Companies Seeking New Areas to Pay Their Fair Share

Following President Obama’s announcement last week of his 5-year offshore drilling plan, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced that he would introduce new legislation when Congress reconvenes that would aim to recover billions in lost oil royalties. The legislation would provide a strong incentive to oil companies seeking to drill in the newly opened areas in the Atlantic and Eastern Gulf of Mexico to end royalty-free drilling from leases issued between 1996 and 2000.

“Last week, President Obama announced that he was going to open a new swath of land stretching from Delaware to Florida to oil and gas drilling,” said Rep. Markey. “However, if oil companies want to access these newly opened areas, my legislation would ensure that the American taxpayers get the money they are rightfully owed.”

Because of an oil company court challenge to the 1995 Deep Water Royalty Relief Act authored by the then-Republican majority along with faulty leases offered by the Interior Department in 1998 and 1999, the Interior Department is currently being forced to refund more than $2.1 billion in royalty payments that oil companies had already made from these leases. In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has estimated that taxpayers could lose an additional $53 billion over the next 25 years as a result of royalty-free drilling when oil prices are high.

“It is time to put an end to Big Oil playing Uncle Sam for Uncle Sucker,” said Rep. Markey. “When the price of oil is above $80 per barrel, subsidizing oil companies to drill through royalty free drilling is like subsidizing fish to swim – you don’t need to do it.”

“When Congress reconvenes, I will introduce legislation that will give oil companies a choice -- they can continue to drill for free as oil prices continue to climb this summer but if they do so, they won’t be able to drill in these newly opened areas. My legislation would end this big giveaway to Big Oil.”

Rep. Markey’s new legislation will be modeled on the Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act that has repeatedly passed the House over the last four years.

Markey: New Fuel Economy Rules Makes this aEURoeApril Fuels DayaEUR?

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500

House Author of Standards Releases Report Demonstrating New Fuel Economy-Setting Regime Is Cheaper, Better; Calls on President to Continue Progress Past 2016

The Obama administration today released the final roadmap for America’s cars and trucks to reach more than 35 miles per gallon in average fuel efficiency by 2016 and reduce their heat-trapping tailpipe emissions.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the fuel economy standards that passed Congress in 2007 that are being accelerated and finalized today, released a report showing how the new regulatory system for America’s vehicles is cheaper and more effective for America’s consumers and will increase energy independence. Rep. Markey called on the President to set vehicle standards farther in the future than 2016.

“April Fools Day is usually reserved for practical jokes, but today’s April Fuels Day shows how a practical program can help America’s consumers and national security,” said Rep. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “In just a few years, American consumers won’t feel like the joke’s on them when they tally up their gasoline costs.”

In conjunction with the finalization of the fuel economy rules, Rep. Markey released a report by the Government Accountability Office that shows that the new fuel economy regulatory partnership between the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency creates cheaper fuel efficient vehicles by minimizing costs for companies. The GAO report also called for the formalization of the NHTSA--EPA partnership.

Citing the success of this new partnership highlighted in the report, Rep. Markey called on the Obama administration to immediately move to set new fuel efficiency standards past 2016.

The GAO report is available here

“Our fuel economy flatlined for two decades, causing our dependence on foreign oil to skyrocket,” said Rep. Markey. “We can’t allow history to repeat itself. President Obama should take this success and build on it by extending new, aggressive fuel economy standards past the next half decade.”

The new fuel economy standards finalized today will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program, and reduce 900 million metric tons of heat-trapping emissions. And a vehicle bought in 2016 will save an American family $3,000 over the life of the vehicle, even after including the cost of any fuel-saving technology.

Rep. Markey sent a letter to President Obama today congratulating him on these new standards, and encouraging him to advance the standards past 2016.

The letter is available here.

Markey: When It Comes to New Drilling, Oil Companies Should First aEURoeUse It or Lose ItaEUR?

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Following Obama Admin. Drilling Plan, Chairman Announces Re-Introduction of “Use It or Lose It” Legislation Included in Obama Budget; Hails Obama Decision to Keep New England Safe from Drilling

Following President Obama’s announcement of his 5-year offshore drilling plan, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) announced that he would re-introduce his “Use It or Lose It” legislation when Congress returns from its spring recess. The legislation would provide a strong incentive to oil companies to drill in offshore leases they already own before purchasing new leases, and the concept was included in the Obama administration’s budget.

“Before oil companies drill off thousands of miles of pristine coastline, they should first use the thousands of drilling leases they already own,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

The “Use It or Lose It” legislation, which passed the House of Representatives several times during the 110th Congress, would impose an escalating fee on oil drilling rights not being used by oil companies. Currently, there are 1844 producing leases out of 7316 total leases on the major offshore area of America’s coast, the so-called Outer Continental Shelf, or about a 25 percent rate of use. By area, there are 8,894,428 acres producing on the OCS out of 39,331,641 total acres leased to oil companies, or about a 22 percent rate of use.

“Oil companies hold the offshore drilling rights to an area the size of Pennsylvania on which they aren’t actually drilling,” said Rep. Markey.

The Obama administration included the “Use It or Lose It” concept in their recent budget request. The administration’s budget proposed a fee on non-producing oil leases to provide an incentive to oil companies to move quickly to get oil to the market or to release the leases. The budget estimated the offshore program would generate more than $400 million over the next ten years. Rep. Markey’s bill would provide the administration with the authority to levy such a fee.

“President Obama’s announcement today demonstrates his commitment to a comprehensive view of our energy policy,” said Rep. Markey. “I hope and trust that today's announcement will soon be followed by others that approve development of offshore wind energy resources, such as the Cape Wind project. For far too long, development of offshore wind and onshore wind and solar energy projects on public lands has had a lower priority than exploitation of oil and gas resources on public lands. That needs to change.”

Rep. Markey also thanked President Obama for keeping the shores of New England safe from new oil drilling. After the Congressional moratorium on offshore drilling was lifted in 2009, Rep. Markey introduced legislation that passed the House that would protect Georges Bank – a key economic and environmental area off New England.

“The only time oil and fish should mix is in fish and chips,” said Rep. Markey. “We must ensure that iconic places like Georges Bank never become ExxonMobil’s bank.”

Markey: HomeStar Will Be Summer Blockbuster for Consumers, Jobs

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Four Stars for Home Star

Creating New Jobs

Over 168,000 jobs will be saved or created in the construction, manufacturing, and retail sectors.

Saving Consumers Money

Energy efficient homes will save hardworking families more than a billion dollars in 2011 alone – and $9.5 billion over the next decade.

Saving Energy

Efficiency upgrades cut energy waste and foreign oil imports. Home Star will save the same amount of energy as 615,000 cars, and means we’ll need 4 less power plants.

Products Made in the U.S.A.

90% of the retrofit products for Home Star - windows, doors, and insulation - are manufactured in the USA.

Broad Support for Home Star Pours In

Over 1,200 organizations are supporting Home Star, including:

HomeStar Will Be Summer Blockbuster for Consumers, Jobs

Bill Passes Subcommittee, Will Create or Save 168,000 Jobs

The HomeStar program to help families retrofit their homes with more efficient windows, doors and other home improvements today passed the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, moving a program backed by President Obama one step closer to becoming reality. The bill passed on a voice vote.

“In the next couple months, I believe HomeStar will go from an unheralded, small budget program to become the summer blockbuster our economy needs,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “This bill will ensure that HomeStar will be a four-star program for our economy, creating jobs, saving consumers money, saving energy, and producing products that are largely ‘Made in America.’”

HomeStar is a program designed to help every homeowner looking for a little extra help to make their home more efficient by saving energy. The program will provide homeowners rebates for purchasing and installing more efficient windows, doors, insulation and other home improvements that will cut energy bills while jumpstarting our manufacturing and labor sectors.

The HomeStar program addresses several important issues facing the American economy:

JOBS: HomeStar will create or save an estimated 168,000 jobs. There is currently a 27 percent unemployment rate in the construction sector.

HOMEOWNERS: HomeStar will help homeowners save $9.2 billion dollars on their energy bills.

ENERGY: In 2011 alone, HomeStar will save an amount of electricity equivalent to four 300 megawatt power plants and an amount of natural gas and home heating oil the equivalent of 6.8 million barrels of heating oil.

Chairman Markey added an amendment to the HomeStar program capping the total cost of the program at $6 billion.

PHOTOS FROM APRIL 14, 2010 PRESS CONFERENCE

Markey: Electricity Grid Security Act Passes Energy and Environment Subcommittee

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Bi-partisan GRID Act Would Protect Electricity System Against Attacks

Bi-partisan legislation co-authored by Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) that would protect our nation’s electricity grid from attacks today passed the Energy and Environment Subcommittee and now heads to the full Energy and Commerce Committee. The Grid Reliability and Infrastructure Defense Act (GRID Act) passed on a unanimous voice vote by the subcommittee.

“Right now, our electrical grid is vulnerable to threats from terrorists and hostile countries. Our adversaries have motive, intent, and the capacity to exploit these weaknesses,” said Chairman Markey. “Every one of our nation’s critical systems – water, healthcare, telecommunications, transportation, law enforcement, and financial services – depends on the grid.”

The GRID Act would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take measures to protect the electricity grid from telecommunications intrusions.

Yesterday, the subcommittee held a hearing with all of the Commissioners of FERC to discuss this important issue. The commissioners emphasized the gravity of the threat America’s grid faces and the inadequacy of existing law to deal with this threat. Chairman Markey and others heard the same message during a classified briefing held last month.

Markey Leads 100 Members in Calling Appropriators to Fully Fund Energy Assistance Program

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 99 of his colleagues in the House today sent a letter to Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) requesting full funding for America’s low-income energy assistance program. With continued concerns about the economy, energy prices back on the rise, and record numbers of people applying for assistance, Rep. Markey and other members today requested at least $5.1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program – or LIHEAP -- for fiscal year 2011 plus $600 million in emergency funds.

"Many low-income families, disabled individuals, and senior citizens living on fixed incomes face unaffordable home energy costs—spending up to 17 percent of their income on home energy bills," Rep. Markey and others write in the letter. "The number of households is expected to again reach record levels this year. The rapid increase in the number of households served reflects the rise in unemployment, as well as, continuing high home energy prices."

The letter can be found on the Select Committee website: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/pressreleases_2008_id=0210

According to National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, states expect to serve about 9.5 million households with heating assistance in 2010, a 25 percent increase over last year representing an additional 1.9 million households.aEUREUR

Meanwhile, energy prices have continued to remain high.aEUREURAccording to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, home energy prices have increased by almost 50 percent in the past five years – from $681 during the winter of 2002-03 to $990 last year.

Markey: Consumers Have a Right to Know About Their Electricity

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Markey’s “e-KNOW” Bill Would Give Consumers Access to Home Energy Usage Information; Would Fulfill Two Recommendations of FCC Broadband Plan

Full bill text | e-KNOW Basics | Chairman Markey’s Statement of Introduction

Consumers can look at a box of cereal and see calories and fat content. When a consumer steps onto a car lot, they can look at window stickers that show the fuel efficiency and safety features. And yet, when consumers flip a light switch, run the clothes dryer, or turn on the air conditioning, the only information available comes in a monthly bill, which includes little or no information on pricing, and on their day-to-day, or minute-to-minute energy use.

Responding to the lack of information provided to consumers about their electricity use, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced a bill that will give consumers access to free, timely and secure data about their electricity prices and usage patterns so they can take charge of their energy use and save money on utility bills.

“Whether it’s corn flakes or cars, consumers make better decisions when they are armed with real, usable information on products. Consumers want to do the right thing when it comes to saving energy, but they need the right tools to do it,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Knowledge is power, as the saying goes. My e-KNOW bill will give consumers the knowledge they need to make decision on how they want to power their lives.”

The bill, the Electricity Consumers’ Right to Know Act -- or “e-KNOW” – is a vital part of the larger effort to establish an American Smart Grid that combines the advances in telecommunications technologies with a push for energy efficiency. E-KNOW would ensure consumers have secure, private, electricity information access in near real-time for the 80 million homes and businesses that are expected to be outfitted with “smart meters” by the end of this decade.

Even for those consumers without smart meters, simply having better information about their electricity use has been shown to reduce total consumption by 5 to 15 percent, providing annual savings of $60 to 180 for the average American household.

The e-KNOW bill fulfills two key recommendations of the National Broadband Plan released by the Federal Communications Commission. Specifically, the plan recommends Congress consider national legislation to cover consumer privacy and ensure consumers’ accessibility to their energy data, and the e-KNOW bill would do exactly that. It also adopts the Plan’s recommendation that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission develop national standards for consumer energy data accessibility that will help utilities and state regulatory agencies formulate their policies.

“We’ve gone from the black rotary dial phone to the Blackberry, but when it comes to electricity information, we still have to dial-up our utilities and ask for information,” continued Rep. Markey. “With my e-KNOW bill and a new, American-built Smart Grid, the same people who work on killer apps for an iPhone will now help you know how much energy you use from your iFridge, iStove, or IToaster.”

Providing customers with access to their energy use will not happen by itself. One recent study of a number of large utilities found that of the almost 17 million new smart meters they planned on delivering to consumers, only 35 percent had clear plans to provide customer access to the data. Less than 1 percent of these utilities’ customers have real-time access to electricity data today.

Google and Microsoft are just two of the companies that have already created web-based energy visualization tools. The e-KNOW act will allow new energy information entrepreneurs to flourish, and will help American consumers and businesses save money through a fully-deployed Smart Grid. With full roll-out of smart grid technologies, the Pacific Northwest National Lab estimates that conservation efforts resulting from consumers’ access to information will reduce residential and commercial electricity demand by 6 percent. This would save businesses and consumers more than $15 billion annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly: 92 million metric tons annually in 2030, equal to the emissions of 16 large coal power plants.

“e-KNOW will give electricity consumers the power to stop looking at a monthly utility bill to know what it all costs, and instead go on the web and know what a watt costs that very minute,” concluded Rep. Markey. “Consumers have a right to know this information, and e-KNOW will provide it.”

Markey: Why ArenaEUR(TM)t Climate Deniers Singing in this Rain?

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Deniers Quick to Sling Mud…Except When There’s Too Much Actual Mud

A damaging storm hitting the Northeast United States has caused floods, power outages and dropped inches of rain across the region. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today hit back against the deniers who questioned climate change after this winter’s east coast snowstorms, asking them what answers they had to directly measured data that shows an increase in extreme precipitation events.

“Climate skeptics like to sling mud at scientists, but where are they when millions of people are dealing with real, actual mud, and too much of it?” asked Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “They shouted as loud as they could about extreme weather when it was snow, but now you can’t find any of them singing in this rain. That’s because the data shows these types of extreme precipitation events, whether it’s through rain or snow, are consistent with climate trends.”

While no one storm can be attributed to climate change -- nor disprove its existence -- the overall trends point to more extreme weather events, especially heavy precipitation events as a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture.

According to a recent report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, consisting of 13 U.S. government agencies working on the challenge of climate change, the amount of rain falling in the heaviest downpours has increased by 20 percent on average in the United States over the last century. In some regions, the increase of precipitation over the last 50 years has been even higher, like the 67 percent increase in the Northeast.

“What do the deniers say when asked about real, directly measurable data? They are willing to sandbag progress on clean energy, but are they also willing to help put sandbags outside American families’ homes?” asked Rep. Markey.

Hearing 3/16: Clearing the Smoke - Black Carbon Pollution

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Select Committee to hold hearing on impacts and solutions to black carbon pollution

Black carbon is a particle pollutant -- a component of soot and smoke -- that is emitted during the burning of fossil fuels and biomass. Finding solutions that reduce black carbon pollution is an important step in the fight against climate change.

On Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 10:00 a.m., the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled: “Clearing the Smoke: Understanding the Impacts of Black Carbon Pollution.” Witnesses for this hearing will be by invitation only.

WHAT: Select Committee Hearing, "Clearing the Smoke: Understanding the Impacts of Black Carbon Pollution"

WHEN: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 – 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: 1310 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC, and online.

WITNESS LIST:
Tami Bond, Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Drew Shindell, Senior Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Conrad Schneider, Advocacy Director, Clean Air Task Force

2008 Halting of Petroleum Reserve Fill Saved Taxpayers $600 Million

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Markey/Welch Legislation Stopped Bush Oil Purchases at $120 a Barrel

An analysis by the Department of Energy on legislation co-authored by Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) to stop the high-cost filling of the nation’s oil reserves in 2008 found that the passage of the legislation saved American taxpayers $600 million dollars.

“When consumers were getting tipped upside down at the pump in 2008, we had plenty of reasons to stop filling the reserve, and now we have 600 million more,” said Rep. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Now that oil prices are creeping up again, this is a stark reminder of the financial need for America to end its oil-centric energy policy.”

“Americans footed the bill in more ways than one as the price of oil spiraled out of control two years ago. They paid higher prices at the pump and they were forced to finance the federal government’s overpriced purchase of strategic reserves,” said Rep. Welch, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “The hundreds of millions of dollars saved by this common-sense bill demonstrate once more the price all Americans pay as our nation remains addicted to oil.”

The Markey-Welch legislation -- the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (H.R. 6022) -- which passed the House and became public law 110-232 in May of 2008, directed the President to suspend shipments to the SPR through the end of 2008 or until prices dropped below $75 per barrel.

The final version of the legislation that was signed into law was authored by Reps. Markey and Welch and originated in the House.

The Department of Energy analysis, which was released today, found that had the federal government would have purchased19.5 million barrels of oil during a period of high prices to complete the fill of the reserve, which was already at 97 percent capacity, the cost would have been $1.7 billion. Instead, when the SPR resumed its fill in January 2009, at a time of lower prices, the cost was $1.1 billion, for a savings of $600 million compared to what would have occurred in 2008 absent passage of the House legislation.

Reps. Markey and Welch also sent a letter to the Department of Energy in December 2008 urging the resumption of the fill of the SPR as oil prices had declined. That letter can be found here.

Markey: Time Really Is Money During Daylight Saving Time

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Markey: Time Really Is Money During Daylight Saving Time

After Long Winter, Spring Brings Smiles and Savings Alike from Extension of Popular Program

In the middle of the night on Sunday, Daylight Saving Time will go into effect. The next day, evening sunshine will last longer, and American families from across the country will start savings hundreds of millions of dollars on their energy bills. All from an extension of the program co-authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.).

“We can’t count the accumulated smiles from an extra hour of sunshine, but we can count the dollars,” said Rep. Markey. “The first real moment of spring is no longer the equinox, it’s when we reset our clocks. Daylight Saving Time marks the end of a long winter, and the beginning of spring.”

While there is no pending study quantifying happiness gained from the program, a study completed by the Department of Energy says that the extension of Daylight Saving Time saved American families nearly $500 million and 2.9 million barrels of oil during the extension of the program in 2007, according to a government report.

“When there’s still sunlight, there’s less reason for artificial light,” said Rep. Markey. “The results are lower energy bills, less pollution, and more reasons to stay outside.”

As part of the 2005 Energy Bill, Markey and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) amended the Uniform Time Act of 1996 to increase the portion of the year that is subject to DST, providing longer hours of daylight and helping consumers cut back on peak-hour electricity usage. The Markey-Upton amendment extended the duration of DST in the spring by changing its start date from the first Sunday in April to the second Sunday in March, and in the fall by changing its end date from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November.

The amendment required that the Department of Energy prepare a report evaluating the impact of the extended DST program.

The key findings of the DOE report, issued in October 2008, included:

--The total electricity savings of Extended Daylight Saving Time were about 1.3 Tera Watt-hour (TWh). This corresponds to a reduction in total use per individual of 0.5 percent per each day of Extended Daylight Saving Time.
--These savings translate to $498 million in electricity savings and reduced oil usage of 2.9 million barrels of oil.
--During Extended Daylight Saving Time, electricity savings generally occurred over a three- to five-hour period in the evening with small increases in usage during the early-morning hours.

The full DOE report can be found here: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ba/pba/pdfs/epact_sec_110_edst_report_to_congress_2008.pdf

Markey: With China and India on Board, No Excuse for U.S. Carbon Inaction

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

WASHINGTON (March 9, 2010) – Following today’s announcement that China and India have signed onto the Copenhagen Accord, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill that provided the Obama administration with emission reduction targets, issued the following statement:

“Now that China and India have joined the process, there is no longer any excuse for U.S. inaction on establishing a national plan to create clean energy jobs and cut carbon pollution.

“The House has passed the Waxman-Markey bill. The Obama administration has provided leadership. It is now up to the U.S. Senate to continue this process, and I am encouraged by their progress.

“This is the most complicated political transaction in the history of the world, and we are getting closer every day to completing it.”

# # #

Hearing 3/10: Clean Energy Jobs and Consumer Savings from the Recovery Act

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Select Committee Hearing: Clean Energy Jobs and Consumer Savings from the Recovery Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act invested in projects that create clean energy jobs while helping families save money on their energy bills. These investments in renewable energy, efficiency, weatherization and new technology development have established robust American energy industries, such as advanced battery technology to power cars and trucks.

On Wednesday, Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will explore some of the clean energy results from the Recovery Act, and discuss how an American-made clean energy future can continue.

For more information on the Clean Energy items in the Recovery Act, please click here.

WHAT: Select Committee Hearing, “The Clean Energy Recovery: Creating Jobs, Building New Industries and Saving Money.”

WHERE: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., and online.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at 9:30 a.m.

WITNESS LIST:
Lisa Patt-McDaniel, Director, Ohio Department of Development
Bryan Ashley, Chief Marketing Officer, Suniva Inc.
Paul Gaynor, Chief Executive Officer, First Wind Holdings LLC
Mary Ann Wright, Vice President and Managing Director, Business Accelerator Project, Johnson Controls, Inc.
Brian M. Johnson, Federal Affairs Manager, Americans for Tax Reform & Executive Director, Alliance for Worker Freedom

Markey: Clear Need for Clean Energy Jobs

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Passing Clean Energy Bill in Congress Will Create Millions of Jobs in America

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs bill, today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s remarks on clean energy jobs:

“If we want to put more Americans to work in clean energy jobs, then Congress must continue its work to pass a clean energy strategy for America.

“Independent studies have shown that a clean energy bill like Waxman-Markey could create nearly 2 million clean energy jobs. With global competition for clean energy technologies heating up, now is the time for us to demand clean energy jobs that will be Made in America and Stay in America.

“The Senate is working on their own version of clean energy jobs legislation. Congress will continue to work so more Americans will have work.”

Markey: NEPA Update Takes Bedrock Law, Looks Skyward at Heat-Trapping Emissions

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

In response to the Obama administration’s Council on Environmental Quality updating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to include review of climate change impacts from projects that emit sizeable quantities of heat-trapping emissions, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of twin climate and energy panels, issued the following statement:

"This action updates one of our nation’s bedrock laws to look skyward at the heat-trapping emissions that are endangering our planet.

"Our actions are altering the planet’s climate and this update to the law reflects this immutable fact.aEUREUR

"This is yet another signal of President Obama’s commitment to establishing a comprehensive climate and energy strategy that will create jobs while cutting pollution."

Markey Welcomes Obama Call for Passing Comprehensive Clean Energy & Climate Legislation

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, issued the following statement following President Obama’s announcement of $8 billion in funding for the nuclear loan guarantee program:

“President Obama continues to look to the energy sector as the vehicle for driving job creation.” said Rep. Markey, adding, “The President made it clear that passing comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation, like the House passed Waxman-Markey clean energy bill, is critical to American leadership in developing new technologies and industries to compete with China, India and other nations.”

The United States has not built a new nuclear power plant in three decades, due to huge cost overruns, safety concerns, and waste disposal problems that made nuclear power economically uncompetitive -- leading investors to shun nuclear power due to its high risks and poor financial performance. Recognizing the ongoing financial challenges facing the nuclear industry, the Waxman-Markey legislation included a Clean Energy Bank to help provide financing support for new reactors, as well as other non-carbon energy sources such as wind, solar, and efficiency. In recognition, the Nuclear Energy Institute supported the Waxman-Markey legislation’s key provisions when the bill was debated on the House floor last June.

Chairman Markey also noted that in today's nuclear loan guarantee announcement, President Obama reiterated the need to address the issue of how to safely dispose of the dangerous radioactive waste generated by nuclear power, as well as the need to ensure that the nuclear industry is held to the highest and strictest safety standards.

“While nuclear energy will play a competitive role in a low carbon economy, the issues of waste disposal and the inherent uncertainties in putting taxpayer dollars on the line for a nuclear power plant design that hasn’t yet been deemed to be safe to the public must be dealt with.” Markey said. “The process needs to be closely monitored to ensure public safety so that public dollars are responsibly provided only when the reactor is truly safe and shovel-ready.”

In letters exchanged with Department of Energy Secretary Stephen Chu, Markey has been advocating for public safety, financial protection for tax payers regarding the loans guarantees, while pointing out design flaw issues. Those letters can be found here.

POSTPONED Hearing 2/11: Clearing the Smoke - Black Carbon Pollution

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

PLEASE NOTE: THIS HEARING HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND MORE INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE SHORTLY.

Select Committee to hold hearing on impacts and solutions to black carbon pollution

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled: “Clearing the Smoke: Understanding the Impacts of Black Carbon Pollution.”

WHAT: Select Committee hearing on Understanding the Impacts of Black Carbon Pollution
WHEN: TBA
WHERE: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC, Capital Complex and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov
WHO: Witnesses to be announced

Markey: President Showing aEURoeGroundedaEUR? Commitment to Clean Energy Development

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Biofuels from the Ground, and Carbon Capture Underground, Will Grow American Energy Independence, Says Chairman

Today the Obama administration announced several new rules, reports and initiatives that signal the president’s continued commitment to developing home-grown American clean energy. President Obama announced new rules on meeting the renewable fuels requirement from the 2007 energy bill, a proposed rule on biomass assistance for farmers and energy producers, a strategic report on commercialization of biofuels, and the creation of a new interagency task force on carbon capture programs.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and co-author of the 2007 energy bill and the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, issued the following statement:

“Whether it’s biofuels that come out of the ground, or carbon emissions that we pipe underground, the president is showing that he is committed to the creation of a home-grown, American clean energy economy.

“We can create biofuels that come from plants or waste, but don’t take food off our plates. We should be running our cars and trucks on home-grown biofuels, not Middle East fossil fuels. The Obama administration is committed to making this a reality.

“Carbon capture and storage is another necessary technology America must develop if we are to deal with our dual challenges of energy and economic security. China and India are building coal plants at an increasing clip, and if America does not create the technology to capture and dispose of carbon emissions, they will.

“Now is the time for a ‘grounded’ energy and climate policy that takes the plants, the wind, the sun, and the other American resources that surround us everyday and turns it into home-grown clean energy jobs. Today the Obama administration is showing they believe in this ‘grounded’ energy policy.”

Markey Introduces Increase in Low-Income Energy Assistance

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Crisis Approaches as Heating Oil Prices, Demand for Help Both Increase

A perfect storm of economic hardship, rising heating oil prices, and increased demand for home energy assistance could result in a serious home energy crisis for millions of Americans this year and beyond. In response to this looming threat, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today introduced legislation that would increase the level of funding for and expand availability to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, creating a vital safety net for millions of Americans.

“Our economy may finally be heating up, but the effects of a recession, periods of cold weather and rising energy prices are still having a chilling effect on millions of American families,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Expanding LIHEAP’s funding and availability is absolutely vital.”

The bill, the Energy Assistance for American Families Act, would increase the authorized funding level for LIHEAP to $7.6 billion per year for fiscal years 2011 to 2014, an increase of $2.5 billion over the last authorized level, enacted in 2005. The bill would also extend the expanded eligibility levels to families whose incomes total up to 75 percent of their state’s median income level.

According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), states assisted 8.3 million households last year, a more than 33 percent increase in the number of households served from the previous year. In addition, in large part due to the economic downturn, NEADA estimates that 10 million households may apply for assistance this year. However, 10 million households still represents less than one-third of all households that are eligible for help. Increasing the authorized LIHEAP funding level will allow states to meet this increased demand and to continue to provide meaningful aid.

Energy prices are also on the rise -- average household expenditures on heating oil this winter are expected to increase to $1,911 from $1,864 last winter, according to the Department of Energy.

Markey: Pentagon Review Calls Climate Change, Energy Security, Economic Stability aEURoeInextricably LinkedaEUR?

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Chairman Markey Requested Quadrennial Review in 2007

The Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review released today points to serious global security concerns from our energy and climate change challenges. The four-year review was first requested by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) in the Global Climate Change Security Oversight Act of 2007, which eventually became law through other legislation.

The report, a comprehensive look at America’s defense risks and opportunities, pays special attention to the challenges of climate change and dependence on fossil fuels like oil. The Pentagon links these global problems with America’s economy, saying “climate change, energy security and economic stability are inextricably linked.”

“The Pentagon gets it. The American people get it. We must move away from our dependence on foreign oil and towards American-made clean energy,” said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “The time has come to meet peacefully now in the halls of Congress to solve these problems, or America and her allies will surely be met with conflict in the future if they remain unaddressed.”

The report says that climate change could “have significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributing to poverty, environmental degradation, and the further weakening of fragile governments.” Extreme weather events could strain military support, and changes in the climate will contribute to food and water scarcity and mass migrations, the Pentagon report says.

The solutions offered by the Pentagon are to move away from petroleum-based fuels and towards clean energy. Energy efficiency is called a “force multiplier, because it increases the range and endurance of forces in the field and can reduce the number of combat forces diverted to protect energy supply lines, which are vulnerable to both asymmetric and conventional attacks and disruptions.”

Legislation offered by Rep. Markey in 2007 asked for the Quadrennial Review to include findings estimate regarding the impact of global climate change and potential implications of such impact on America’s defense. The Department of Defense authorization bill that passed in 2007 included the requirement for this assessment.

Markey Praises Obama Budget Proposal

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Budget Shows Commitment to Creating Jobs, Passing Clean Energy and Climate Legislation, Protecting Middle Class Families

Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of twin energy and climate panels in the House, issued the following statement today after the Obama administration released the details of its budget request for Fiscal Year 2011.

“With this common sense budget, President Obama is making the tough choices necessary to protect middle-class families, revive our economy and lay the foundation for a clean energy economy that will put people back to work in clean energy jobs,” said Markey. “To create lasting prosperity, we need to create clean energy jobs here in America, so that we can take on China and other foreign competitors.”

“After eight years of the failed economic policies of the Bush Administration that turned record budget surpluses into trillion dollar deficits, President Obama is focusing on essential priorities while eliminating unnecessary spending.”

As the budget indicates, Congress can send comprehensive, budget-neutral energy legislation, like the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill, to the President this year. The president’s budget specifically calls for such legislation, and that the policy should be deficit-neutral, utilizing money from polluters and to help American families and invest in the jobs, technologies and companies that will build America’s clean energy future.

This year’s budget includes important funding increases for the EPA and invests $2.3 billion in applied energy research and development. This funding will position the United States as the world leader in clean energy technology and will help develop new industries and create good paying new jobs. The budget also eliminates more than $2.7 billion in tax subsidies for oil, coal and gas industries.

“For years R&D has been on R&R here in America,” said Markey. “But with this budget, the President is making a commitment to lead the way in the 21st Century clean energy economy. This budget invests in our workforce, so that the clean energy technologies of the next 100 years come from Boston, not Beijing.”

The Obama administration’s Interior Department budget includes provisions championed by Rep. Markey to ensure that American taxpayers are getting their fair share for giving Big Oil the right to drill on public land. The budget ensures that Big Oil companies “Use it or Lose it” on nonproducing leases by incorporating an idea recently reintroduced in the House by Rep. Markey to charge a new fee on non-producing oil and gas leases. Rep. Markey’s “Use it or Lose it” legislation passed the House in the 110th Congress.

The budget highlights the need for legislative action to recover $54 billion in royalty-free drilling that oil companies are poised to keep from American taxpayers that could otherwise be used for deficit control or other important measures. Rep. Markey reintroduced legislation last week, the Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2010, which would correct this error and ensure the oil companies are paying their fair share as a way of protecting taxpayers and reducing our budget deficit.

“High oil prices have busted budgets in households and businesses for years, even as companies like ExxonMobil reap billions in profits,” said Markey. “Instead of oil companies drilling for free on public land, we should be drilling for deficit dollars by fixing this taxpayer rip-off.”

The budget also includes over $5 billion for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a $345 million increase that includes funds to implement the requirement that 100 percent of all cargo carried on passenger planes be screened, a mandate Rep. Markey authored that was included in the law implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Building on the $7.2 billion Recovery Act program that Rep. Markey championed to expand broadband deployment, the Obama administration’s budget requests an additional $418 million to expand broadband services to rural communities.

“In these difficult economic times, families across the Commonwealth and across the nation are tightening their belts. This budget is no different. President Obama is committed to eliminating wasteful spending, while preserving the core priorities that will improve our health care system, end our dependence on foreign oil and expand access to education,” Markey concluded.

The budget also includes $36 billion more for a loan guarantee program for the nuclear energy industry. The energy department, however, already has $20 billion for the program that has yet to be distributed.

“Any additional taxpayer support for new nuclear power plants has to consider the costs of nuclear power compared to other low-carbon or zero-carbon energy sources,” said Markey. “Ultimately, the best way to establish nuclear energy as cost-competitive is to pass a comprehensive climate and energy bill that finally forces polluters to pay for the carbon pollution they produce.”

Markey: Federal GovaEUR(TM)t Emission Goals Will Create Jobs, Drive Clean Energy Development

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Ambitious Targets for U.S. Government Operations Leads by Example

The Obama administration announced today that the federal government, the nation’s largest energy consumer, would use clean energy solutions to reduce global warming emissions by 28 percent by 2020, compared to 2008 levels. By installing solar panels, using more fuel efficient vehicles, and increasing energy efficiency and management, these measures will cut energy use by the equivalent of 205 million barrels of oil.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

“If we intend to embark on a national plan to create more clean energy and pollute less, than that plan must start with our national government. The federal government is the number one consumer of energy in the country, and will now be the number one leader in deploying clean energy technologies. To kick America’s foreign oil habit, we need participation and legislation, and this week President Obama has shown he has the dedication to follow through on these important efforts.”

Markey: U.S. Emissions Targets Reflect Congressional Action

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

House-passed Waxman-Markey Bill, Obama Admin. Show Consistency in U.S. Position

The global warming emission reduction targets submitted today by the United States to the United Nations reflect the targets passed by the House in the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill. The targets submitted today are part of the Copenhagen Accord process. The U.S. submission includes targets of 17 percent below 2005 emission levels by 2020, 30 percent by 2025, 42 percent by 2030, and 83 percent by 2050, which mirrors the emissions reduction pathway in Waxman-Markey.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey bill and chair of twin climate and energy panels in the House, made the following statement:

"Waxman-Markey provided the Obama administration with the guideposts for emission reductions, and now the Obama administration is trying to guide the world towards an effective agreement that expands clean energy as it cuts pollution. American leadership is back on the map in this planetary effort.

"Waxman-Markey will create clean energy jobs here in the United States, while helping to create a united global front in the fight against the planetary challenge of climate change. The Senate now has the task of continuing this effort to create more clean energy jobs that can’t be sent overseas, and less carbon pollution that won’t be sent into the atmosphere.

"Last night, in his address to the nation, President Obama challenged Congress to pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill ‘that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America.’ And like the president, we should not quit until this task is completed, and until we create more clean energy at home and less global warming around the world."

Markey and Van Hollen: Drilling for Deficit Dollars from Oil Companies is Part of Fiscal Responsibility

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

New Legislation Would Recover up to $54 Billion in Lost Royalties from Faulty Drilling Leases

As President Barack Obama steps up measures to decrease the U.S. budget deficit, Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today introduced legislation that could recover up to $54 billion from oil companies that have been drilling for free on public lands due to faulty agreements made by the government.

"Instead of oil companies drilling for free on public land, we should be drilling for deficit dollars by fixing this taxpayer rip-off," said Rep. Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "This legislation would protect American taxpayers and reduce our budget deficit by up to $54 billion."

"As Congress works with President Obama to put the nation's fiscal house in order, it is vitally important that we pay as much attention to closing costly, special interest loopholes as we do to scrutinizing wasteful spending," said Congressman Van Hollen. "The Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act does just that by ensuring taxpayers get a fair return when private corporations profit from public resources. It's common sense reform and should be enacted promptly."

The legislation, the Royalty Relief for American Consumers Act of 2010, would correct errors in the law that allowed oil companies holding drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico to avoid paying royalties to the federal government from leases granted by the Interior Department between 1996 and 2000. By recovering lost royalties, the federal government could take in up to $54 billion, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office.

The legislation would provide a strong incentive for companies holding faulty leases to renegotiate by preventing them from signing new lease agreements unless they renegotiate the old, free-drilling proposals. The Congressional Research Service has concluded that the legislation would protect the federal government from losses relating to royalty-free drilling. Similar versions of the legislation authored by Rep. Markey have repeatedly passed the House of Representatives in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

"Half of our trade deficit in 2008 was from buying foreign oil, and $54 billion of our national budget deficit could be solved by keeping oil companies honest," said Rep. Markey. "The minerals below our public lands belong to the American people and no company should be allowed to exploit them for free."

Markey: New Wind Numbers Blow Past Expectations, Showing Huge Potential

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Capacity Grew 39 Percent in 2009 Following Recovery Act Investments

America’s capacity to generate electricity from wind grew by 39 percent in 2009 due in large part to investments from the Recovery Act, new numbers from the American Wind Energy Association showed today. The growth, even in the face of a recession, shows the huge potential for clean energy once policies like a renewable electricity standard are put in place.

"In 2009, America’s wind capacity grew by nearly 40 percent – blowing past the expectations that existed prior to the passage of the Recovery Act," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill. "These numbers show the potential for growth in clean energy, if only our country will make a commitment to these technologies."

The wind industry pointed to the billions of dollars in the Recovery Act for clean energy as a driver for the gains in capacity in 2009, but that policies were still needed to encourage long-term growth, including a renewable electricity standard. The Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs bill that passed the House of Representatives in June would promote the deployment of clean energy technologies through a 20 percent renewable electricity standard, 5 percent of which can be met by energy efficiency.

"These are impressive short-term gains, but we need to put federal policies in place to generate long-term growth in clean energy technologies that can create more jobs in America’s manufacturing and steel industries," said Rep. Markey. "We need to be making wind turbines that say ‘Made in America’ instead of importing barrels of oil that say ‘Made by OPEC.’"

Markey: Clean Energy Means Jobs Here, Jobs Now

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Recovery Act Dollars Must Be Joined by Senate Action, Says Chairman Markey

Today President Obama announced the release of $2.3 billion in funding from the Recovery Act to create clean energy jobs.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy jobs bill and Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

“Millions of new clean energy jobs will be created over the next decade. The question is, will they be created in China or Germany or will we create them here in America? Today the president is saying we are dedicated to creating these clean energy jobs here, and to create them right now.

“These funds from the Recovery Act will continue the near-term advances our country has made in clean energy, but we need a long-term economic plan to create more jobs, and keep them here in America. That’s why the Senate must pass their version of the Waxman-Markey clean energy bill to ensure a robust long-term market for clean energy technologies.

“An American clean energy jobs plan will reduce both our oil imports and job exports. Studies say that a plan like Waxman-Markey would create nearly 2 million new clean energy jobs. The clean energy economy we are building with better fuel economy, more renewable energy, and more American jobs could save all of the oil we import from the Middle East.”

Additional background on today’s announcement:

A variation of the clean energy manufacturing credit used today is in the Waxman-Markey legislation. Up to 20 percent (about $18 billion through 2025) of clean energy development money provided to states through Waxman-Markey can be used for manufacturing incentives.
The investment tax credits, worth up to thirty percent of each planned project, will leverage private capital for a total investment of nearly $7.7 billion in high-tech manufacturing in the United States.
The projects will create more than 17,000 jobs in some of the fastest growing parts of our economy.
More than $5 million goes to support four Massachusetts manufacturing companies that will produce technologies and materials for efficient buildings, solar energy, and smart grid: Airxchange Inc., CertainTeed Corporation, GreenRay, Inc., and Premium Power.

Markey: Obama Ozone Standard Will Get Pollution Levels Out of Danger Zone

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Reverses Bush Administration Anti-Science Decision on Air Pollution

Today the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency announced new stronger rules for ozone pollution, reversing an anti-science position taken by the Bush administration. The new proposed standard sets ozone pollution – the main component of harmful smog – at levels consistent with recommendations from the EPA’s panel of science advisors, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The Bush administration had set pollution standards above those recommendations.

Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the EPA, issued the following statement:

“Our ozone standards have been in the danger zone for long enough, and these new pro-science standards encourage the adoption of cleaner, pollution-cutting technologies.

“The Bush administration set flawed standards that failed to protect public health. This new rule will save thousands of lives each year, decrease health care costs, and will continue America’s new push for cleaner energy, air and water.

“We can all breathe a little easier knowing that a pro-science Obama administration and EPA is back on the beat.”

Markey: Chu Answer on Nuke Plant LoansaEUR"No Taxpayer-Backed Money Unless Plants Are Approved

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

Markey: Chu Answer on Nuke Plant Loans—No Taxpayer-Backed Money Unless Plants Are Approved

Monitoring of Program, Designs Still Vital to Protect Public, Taxpayers, Says Chairman Markey

WASHINGTON (December 23, 2009) – Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu responded to Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) on questions about the nuclear energy loan guarantee program, especially reactors that could be awarded taxpayer-backed loans even when they have not received full approval for safety. Secretary Chu says in his response that “conditional commitments” could be made, but that “no [loan] guarantee will be issued with respect to a specific project and technology until the design is certified by the NRC and the [construction and operating license] has been issued.”

“Secretary Chu recognizes the inherent uncertainties in putting taxpayer dollars on the line for a nuclear power plant design that hasn’t yet been deemed to be safe,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment in the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over DOE and the NRC. “This process needs to be monitored to ensure public safety, so that public dollars are responsibly provided only when the reactor is truly both safe and shovel-ready.”

Secretary Chu’s letter can be found here.

DOE will soon announce the winners of $18.5 billion in taxpayer-backed loan guarantees to the nuclear energy industry, but recent reports of still-uncorrected design flaws in leading designs led Chairman Markey to send a letter in early November to Secretary Chu about the handling of the loan guarantee program. That letter can be found here.

In today’s response, Secretary Chu notes that his agency is working towards conditional commitments for loan guarantees for nuclear energy designs, but that “a conditional commitment is not, of course, a guarantee; it simply sets forth the terms on which a guarantee may be issued.” He notes that those conditions include completion of an NRC certification of the design, which would include safety requirements. The funds would also have a time limit—or sunset—for the awardees if the conditions for receiving the funds are not met.

The NRC recently announced that the shield that protects the reactor against hurricanes, earthquakes and airplane impact in the AP1000 nuclear reactor design -- a leading design proposed by the Westinghouse Electric Company -- still requires additional analysis, testing or design modifications to comply with safety requirements.

# # #

Markey: Obama Copenhagen Accord Opens Door for World Agreement on Climate

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-494-4486

Markey: Obama Copenhagen Accord Opens Door for World Agreement on Climate

U.S. Leadership Sparks Progress in Climate Talks as Copenhagen Conference Recognizes Accord

COPENHAGEN (December 19, 2009) – The vast majority of the countries here at the Copenhagen climate talks today recognized an accord forged by President Barack Obama, opening the door for continued reengagement on climate change. While only a handful of obstinate countries prevented full adoption of the accord by the entire conference, the broad recognition of the document – crafted less than 24 hours ago by 5 countries, including the United States – signifies a breakthrough in the world’s climate talks.

“President Obama took a climate deal that many considered dead in the water and created a watershed moment in the global effort to combat climate change,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate bill and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Nearly every single country in the world, representing more than 6 billion people, including all nations critical to a final binding agreement, now agree that we should complete that goal by the end of 2010.”

The accord, which was forged yesterday during intense negotiations between the United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, was recognized by the full climate conference here in Copenhagen. A handful of dissenting countries like Sudan and Venezuela prevented the entire conference from adopting the agreement.

The deal also signifies a new era in United States leadership on climate change. Along with President Obama’s 11th hour negotiating tour de force, the U.S. House of Representatives sent 21 members to the talks, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Reps. Markey and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the co-authors of the House-passed climate bill. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) also were vital voices in the talks.

“ There is now a new paradigm of U.S. leadership on climate change, where activity has replaced passivity,” said Rep. Markey. “Today’s recognition by 98 percent of the world of an American-led accord shows that the United States has retaken the mantle as a multilateral negotiating force.”

ObamaaEUR(TM)s Agreement in Copenhagen Signifies New Era of American Leadership

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-494-4486

Markey Statement on Copenhagen Climate Deal

COPENHAGEN (December 18, 2009) -- Following President Barack Obama's announcement that a deal had been reached at the climate talks in Copenhagen, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate and clean energy bill, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Energy and Environment Subcommittee, released the following statement:

"This morning, Speaker Pelosi and I met with the President shortly before his speech before the Copenhagen conference. It was clear that he faced a difficult situation and was determined to hold steady for an agreement that would turn the tide against global warming. I sat in the hall when the president spoke and I could see the impact that his speech made on the assembled delegates. He was strong, resolute and determined.

"Today's ground-breaking agreement by critical nations is not the end of this process, it is the beginning. It signifies a new era of action where America is willing to be a leader in the fight to combat global warming. This provides an opportunity for the rest of the world to build a comprehensive agreement that so many have been working to achieve for so long.

“The president was successful in reaching an agreement that commits major developed and developing economies to substantially reduce their emissions. By ensuring transparency in reviewing countries’ emissions cuts, America and other countries can now be confident that promises made will be promises kept.

“Further actions will be needed, both internationally and domestically, before we have put in place the full range of policies needed to respond to the challenge confronting the planet, but this agreement is a crucial step forward.”

Markey Statement on President Obama's Speech to Copenhagen

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Following President Obama's speech to the United Nations climate conference today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed climate bill and currently part of a Congressional delegation in Copenhagen, issued the following statement:

"President Obama is courageously asserting his leadership during the most complicated political transaction in the history of the planet. This is a multi-dimensional, multi-national chess game, and the message U.S. leaders are sending is that we want to avoid a stalemate in the negotiations and checkmate for the Earth.

"The formula President Obama laid out of emissions reductions, transparency, and financing for developing countries is the political climate calculus that will equal a deal here in Copenhagen. If other countries are willing to heed the president's call to step forward and embrace this accord, Copenhagen can succeed.

"One thing is clear--U.S. leadership is back. The Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill has already passed the House, the president is at the negotiating table, and the U.S. Senate is at the drafting table. The United States will no longer take lightly the issue of climate change."

To read the full text of the President's speech, please CLICK HERE.

Markey: Waxman-Markey Funding Can Aid U.S. Commitment for Developing Countries

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Markey Part of Congressional Delegation Arrived Today in Copenhagen

Funding from the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate bill can help the United States provide its fair share of the financing commitment to developing countries made today by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Sec. Clinton today announced that the United States is prepared to jointly mobilize $100 billion in financing from the developed world to the developing world by 2020, including programs to avoid deforestation and to help poor countries adapt to the increasing effects of climate change.

The Waxman-Markey bill, which passed in June, includes several funding streams for the very mechanisms Sec. Clinton mentioned in her announcement. The funds would be raised by the operation of Waxman-Markey's pollution program.

Over the first ten years of the program, Waxman-Markey dedicates tens of billions to programs to avoid deforestation in developing countries, providing a cost-effective way to reduce emissions.
Over the first ten years of the program, Waxman-Markey provides billions in funds for clean energy technology transfer to developing countries.
Waxman-Markey also includes tens of billions in funds for international adaptation programs.

"The United States must take responsibility for our historical emissions, while also seizing the opportunity that will come with re-engaging with the developing world on emissions-cutting clean energy technologies and other programs," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of Waxman-Markey bill and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "If the United States does its fair share to provide funding to the developing world, I believe we will reap the lion's share of the benefits in the clean energy marketplace."

Rep. Markey is part of the U.S. House congressional delegation led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi that arrived today in Copenhagen to assist with the climate talks.

Markey to Main Street: Job Creation, Strong Clean Energy Industry Central to Economic Recovery

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

House Bill Targets Jobs, Replenishes Renewable Energy Fund

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $75 billion jobs package that will make targeted investments over the next year in highways and transit infrastructure, schools and teachers, police and firefighters, small businesses, and clean energy.

“Clean energy jobs will help move Americans out of the unemployment line and get them back on the assembly line building wind turbines and solar panels,” said Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who serves as Chairman of key committees on energy and the environment in the House. “The $2 billion included for renewable energy loan guarantees will jump start our manufacturing sector building the tools we need to need to help end our dependence on foreign oil.”

The package includes $2 billion for the Department of Energy’s renewable energy loan guarantee program, an investment Rep. Markey has pushed for since the loan guarantee account was drawn down earlier this year in order to extend the highly successful Cash for Clunkers program.

Last week Markey joined with Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and more than twenty-five other House colleagues, to send a letter to Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey urging the restoration of $2 billion for the Department of Energy's renewable energy loan guarantee program. Originally appropriated $6 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February, the renewable energy loan account was reduced by $2 billion in July to extend the Cash for Clunkers program. Restoration of these funds will allow DOE to issue additional renewable energy grants through the end of next year.

“Earlier this year, decisive government action saved the economy from another depression.” Markey said. “With the economy now showing signs of recovery, Democrats in the House sent a very clear message to Main Street: job creation and a strong clean energy industry are central to the American economic recovery.”

Scaling up a domestic clean energy industry will drive new job creation in the near term and increase America’s economic competitiveness over the long term. Loan guarantee assistance enables $1 billion in public funding to leverage $10 billion in private investment. Restoration of the $2 billion will allow the DOE to continue committing loan guarantees through 2010, providing valuable fuel to the economic recovery. Last week's letter was signed by a total of thirty-one members of Congress.

Markey praises Obama for commitment to energy efficiency

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House and co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate legislation, today issued the following statement after President Obama’s speech on energy efficiency.

“While the international community works in Copenhagen to reduce the carbon up in the atmosphere, we can start right in our homes,” said Markey. “I applaud the President for reminding us we have a great opportunity to ‘think globally and act locally’—by conducting energy saving measures in our own homes.”

“Energy efficiency programs show that clean energy legislation can create new jobs and save families money. This effort to promote energy efficient retrofits gives new meaning to the Home Depot slogan, ‘you can do it—we can help.’”

The Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), which passed out of the House of Representatives earlier this year, includes energy efficiency provisions and investments likely to exceed $100 billion through 2025, including:

A renewable electricity and energy efficiency standard that requires utilities to obtain 20 percent of their energy from renewables and efficiency by 2020. This would put utilities in the business of helping their customers use energy more efficiently;
Enhanced building codes that achieve 30% and 50% higher energy efficiency in 2010 and 2016;
Cost-effective energy efficiency programs for natural gas consumers;
State and local government funds for implementing renewable energy and efficiency projects;
Increased appliance and lighting standards;
Building efficiency program for retrofitting existing residential and commercial buildings;
Energy efficient manufactured home program provides rebates toward purchases of new Energy Star-rated manufactured homes for low-income families residing in pre-1976 manufactured homes.

Select Committee Staff Analysis debunks stolen climate email myths

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Earth “CSI’s” – Climate Science Investigators – Have Publicly Proven Global Warming is Unequivocal

A new analysis debunks two of the principal myths generated by the manufactured scandal surrounding stolen climate science emails from the University of East Anglia. The staff analysis, written by the majority staff to Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, explains how two of the key phrases used by climate deniers to trumpet their views have previously been explained in publicly-available, peer-reviewed scientific literature.

CLICK HERE to read the staff analysis

“Global warming has been proven real beyond any reasonable doubt,” said Chairman Markey. “Unless, of course, that last remaining doubt is completely manufactured by the defenders of the fossil fuel status quo. That is the case with these stolen climate emails.”

One email has received the lion’s share of the attention, written by Phil Jones of UEA to several other climate scientists, where he refers to using a “trick” to “hide the decline.”

Critics have alleged that these references indicated a conscious attempt to alter data. In fact the two phrases refer to two distinct issues that were openly discussed in the peer-reviewed scientific literature of the time and are readily available now.

The “trick” was not a trick at all, but rather a technique to combine direct thermometer readings with non-thermometer data, in this case from tree rings, to complete a full picture of temperature history. The technique was openly discussed in a 1998 Nature journal article authored by Michael Mann. The staff report explains the methodology used by the scientists in detail.

“When witnesses aren’t available, crime scene investigators reconstruct events from other information,” said Chairman Markey. “The Earth’s ‘CSI’s,’ our climate science investigators -- and in total there are thousands of them -- are doing the same thing by reconstructing past temperatures when there were no thermometers. And now that we are in the middle of exacting a crime against nature through climate change, the manufactured doubt machine is trying to sully a tiny piece of the mountainous evidence.”

The second phrase in question -- “hide the decline” -- refers to a challenge with the use of anomalous tree-ring data, mostly from Siberian forests, after 1960—and the need to use direct measurements to supplement. In another 1998 article in Nature, Dr. Keith Briffa and his co-authors clearly state that their tree ring data set cannot be used to reconstruct temperatures after 1960. In fact, even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change notes the challenges with the data set.

“This responsible, public scientific discussion was not an attempt to hide anything, or trick anyone. In fact, it happened in plain sight,” said Chairman Markey.

CLICK HERE to read the Select Committee Staff Analysis

Markey: Re-power the DOE Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee Program

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Congress Must Replenish the $2 Billion Taken to Fund Cash For Clunkers

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), John D. Dingell (D-Mich.) and more than twenty-five of their House colleagues sent a letter to Appropriations Committee Chair David Obey urging the restoration of $2 billion for the Department of Energy's renewable energy loan guarantee program. Originally appropriated $6 billion through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February, the renewable energy loan account was reduced by $2 billion in July to extend the highly successful Cash for Clunkers program.

"Earlier this year, we successfully got 700,000 clunkers off the road in less than a month. But we've still got plenty of clunker power plants left on the electricity grid," said Rep. Markey. "Replenishing funding for this critical renewable energy program will help ensure that America is able to scale up the clean energy industry and create jobs needed to produce the energy technologies of the future. That is the recipe for ultimately putting the remaining clunkers to rest. This $2 billion is what we committed to this critical job-generating industry back in February in the Recovery Act, and it is important we follow through on that commitment."

Loan guarantee assistance enables $1 billion in public funding to be leveraged to generate $10 billion in private investment. Restoration of the $2 billion will allow the DOE to continue committing loan guarantees through 2010, providing valuable fuel to the economic recovery. Today's letter, which can be found here, was signed by a total of thirty-one members of Congress.

Markey: New Climate Records Show Science is True, Not a Trick

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

2009 On Track to be 5th Hottest Year, This Decade Was Hottest on Record

New temperature findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have found that 2009 is on track to be the 5th warmest year on record, and that this decade was the warmest on record. These new findings buttress the overwhelming scientific record that global warming is real and is accelerating.

“Global warming deniers are trying to say this is all a trick, but the truth of the matter is that our world is getting hotter, faster,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate bill and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “There is a mountain of evidence proving global warming is a fact, but the defenders of the fossil fuel status quo are using a molehill of a scandal to distract the world. The deniers will not win, because they are wrong.”

According to data from NOAA, this decade had an average global surface temperature about 1 degree Fahrenheit above the 20th century average, easily surpassing the 1990s value of 0.65 degree Fahrenheit above average.

Markey: Obama Employment Plan Embraces Clean Energy Jobs Potential

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

With Housing Efficiency Retrofits, New Jobs Will Start at Home

President Obama’s jobs plan released today embraces the potential for new clean energy jobs across America, said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who co-authored the Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation, which includes provisions for building and home efficiency and renewable energy creation. The president’s plan includes a call for a new program to encourage energy efficiency retrofits in America’s homes, and increased industrial energy efficiency and tax incentives for renewable energy manufacturing here in America.

“By embracing the vast clean energy jobs potential here in America, the president’s jobs plan will get people out of unemployment lines and back on assembly lines making wind turbines and solar panels,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “By giving American families the opportunity to permanently reduce their energy bills through energy efficiency, we can ensure that new jobs and energy savings will literally start in the home.”

The House-passed Waxman-Markey bill includes provisions for building energy efficiency retrofits, and sets a nationwide energy efficiency standard.

Markey: With End of U.S. Gov. Climate Denial, Real Endangerment Comes from Forces Stopping Action

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Decision Based on Mountains of Data, Not Molehill of Manufactured Doubt

WASHINGTON (December 7, 2009) – Following the announcement today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it has finalized the so-called “endangerment finding” and determined that heat-trapping pollution constitutes a danger to human health and the environment, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate bill and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

“Now that the U.S. government has officially ended its era of climate denial, the real endangerment to our planet comes from those who continue to deny the science and delay taking any action.

“The finding that global warming pollution poses a threat to human health and our environment is based on mountains of data accumulated from thousands of scientists over the course of decades. The molehill recently manufactured by a few climate deniers does not change that.

“President Obama and the United States Congress can now travel to Copenhagen armed with regulatory credibility and emission reduction targets from the Waxman-Markey legislation. The world is watching, and the United States is acting.”

Markey Statement on Change in Obama Copenhagen Plans

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Following the announcement by President Obama that he will attend the Copenhagen climate talks at the end of the negotiating session and that the United States would commit its fair share of $10 billion for international climate adaptation assistance, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill and chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

“As the world awaits the advent of a new era of climate action, President Obama’s decision to attend the climate talks later in the advent calendar is an early holiday gift to the climate negotiations, and to the health of the planet.

“By extending robust funding to the developing world to help them adapt to the worst impacts of global warming, the president is bridging one of the major gaps preventing a final, binding international agreement.”

Markey: Climate Deniers, Saudi Arabia Both on Wrong Side of Global Warming Science

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

Markey: Climate Deniers, Saudi Arabia Both on Wrong Side of Global Warming Science

WASHINGTON (December 3, 2009) – Following news reports that show the chief climate negotiator for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is siding with climate deniers in the wake of hackers stealing emails from British climate scientists, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey legislation and Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement:

“Following 8 years when President Bush held hands with Saudi sheiks and climate deniers, we can no longer continue our failed policies of inaction on clean energy and climate change.

“Now it appears that pattern is continuing, where Republicans and backers of the fossil fuel status quo are joining the government of Saudi Arabia in questioning the consensus view that global warming is real and is happening.

“We can no longer allow our energy and climate policy to be dictated by Saudi Arabian oligarchs or Exxon Mobil ‘oil-igarchs.’”

# # #

Markey: Chinese Climate Announcement Proves It - If U.S. Leads, China Will Follow

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 202-494-4486

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Markey: Chinese Climate Announcement Proves It--If U.S. Leads, China Will Follow

WASHINGTON (Turkey Day) -- One day after President Obama announced he would travel to the climate talks in Copenhagen and commit the United States to emission reductions targets in line with the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill, today the Chinese government announced that they, too, would pledge emissions reductions. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and co-author of the Waxman-Markey bill, released the following statement:

"On a day when we sit around a table and give thanks, we should be thankful that leadership on climate change has returned to the negotiating table. China's climate commitment coming one day after President Obama's commitment is no accident, and proves that if America leads, China and the rest of the world will follow. The naysayers and deniers who say that the international climate talks are dead will surely be eating humble pie for dessert today.

"One month ago, I saw the first signs that a U.S.-China deal was possible when Chairman Wang of the National People's Congress and I came to an agreement on international legislative principles for climate and energy issues. We saw more progress when President Obama went to China two weeks ago.

"Today's announcement shows the power of U.S. domestic action. President Obama, armed with emissions targets from the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill and committee action in the Senate, is now able to engage with the world on climate change. The world will no longer just have to cope with what comes out of Copenhagen, they can now hope for a better future emerging from Denmark just three weeks from now."

Background on Markey-Wang agreement:
In October, Congressman Markey, in his role as the Chair of the International Commission on Climate and Energy Security for Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment -- or GLOBE – reached an important agreement in Copenhagen with China’s Congressman Wang Guangtao, Chairman of the People's Congress Environment Protection Committee.

The Markey-Wang agreement established a set of principles that countries will use when crafting domestic policy on energy efficiency, clean energy standards and technology, and other key measures. The principles were approved by the more than 100 legislators from Brazil, India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, along with many other key economies.

More information on the Copenhagen talks is available on a new Select Committee website here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/COP15/

Markey: Obama leading the way to Copenhagen

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

CONTACT: Select Committee, 202 225 4012

WASHINGTON D.C. – In response to the announcement that President Obama would be attending the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen this December, Rep. Edward J. Markey, Chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House, released the following statement:

"By putting a serious number for U.S. emission reductions on the table, the President just called the world's bet and then raised it for our negotiating partners. The President's attendance in Copenhagen demonstrates his personal commitment to getting a deal that is good for the U.S. and good for our clean energy future. It's a powerful statement that the U.S. is back, ready to lead the world.

“In the effort to protect the planet from climate change, these are the most significant travel reservations ever made. With one trip to Copenhagen, President Obama will put U.S. leadership back on the map in the fight against carbon pollution."

HEARING 12/2: State of Climate Science

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

UPDATED MEDIA ADVISORY FOR 10 AM, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4012

Select Committee Hearing: State of Climate Science

Drs. Holdren, Lubchenco to Show Urgency of Impacts, Risk

**This hearing will be WEBCAST LIVE.

WASHINGTON – With the international climate change talks in Copenhagen fast approaching, there is real urgency to reach diplomatic consensus on a planetary solution. In a hearing this Wednesday, the Select Committee will explore with climate scientists from the Obama administration the urgent, consensus view on our planetary problem: that global warming is real, and the science indicates that it is getting worse.

At the hearing, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) will host two of America’s preeminent climate scientists, Dr. John Holdren and Dr. Jane Lubchenco.

Dr. Holdren is the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and was formerly a professor at Harvard University and the director of the acclaimed Woods Hole Research Center.

Dr. Lubchenco is the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States’ leading climate office.

The past decade has been the hottest in recorded history, with all of the years since 2001 being in the top 10 of hottest, according to NASA. This summer, the world’s oceans were the warmest in NOAA’s 130 years of record-keeping. Meanwhile, global heat-trapping pollution continues to rise.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing on the State of Climate Science

WHEN: 10 AM, Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

WHERE: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHO:
Dr. John Holdren, Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

# # #

Markey: Smart grid helps Massachusetts get smart on energy independence

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Representative Ed Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House, today hailed the announcement of over $7 million in Recovery Act funding for the deployment of new Smart Grid technologies and demonstration projects in and around Boston that will help build a smarter, more efficient, more resilient electrical grid.

“When it comes to energy independence, we need to work smarter, not harder,” said Rep. Markey, who authored provisions in the recovery package to ensure that Smart Grid technologies could be ‘open protocol,’ allowing them to use a broad range of information technologies. “And where better to start being smart than in creating a reliable, efficient, affordable Smart Grid electricity system.”

Massachusetts-based company NSTAR received the funding as part of a $620 million disbursement from the Department of Energy for Smart Grid projects across the country. The NSTAR projects will include updating homeowners’ meters to allow dynamic pricing of electricity, where homeowners can access lower prices for energy when demand is lower.

The NSTAR grant is one of 32 demonstration projects, which include large-scale energy storage, smart meters, distribution and transmission system monitoring devices, and a range of other smart technologies, will act as models for deploying integrated Smart Grid systems on a broader scale.

The Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate legislation that passed the House in June, and was co-authored by Rep. Markey, includes provisions to encourage the deployment of a Smart Grid nationwide.

“We have created a nationwide, broadband Internet. Now we must create a nationwide, efficient Smart Grid, which is really just an electricity internet,” continued Rep. Markey. “NSTAR will now be one of the companies that will light the way to a better, brighter, smarter energy future."

Markey Meets with World Leaders on Climate

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

With the international climate talks happening days from now, Congressman Markey has been engaging directly with world leaders to find common ground on climate change solutions. After German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the first German leader to address a joint session of Congress since 1957, she met privately with Congressman Markey, along with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Henry Waxman. Chancellor Merkel discussed the Waxman-Markey legislation with the authors in great detail, showing that even clean energy leaders like Germany continue to look to the United States on the international stage.

Congressman Markey also met with a key player in the upcoming climate talks, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. India, along with China, are the two most pivotal emerging economies in the effort to combat climate change and reach an international agreement. That’s also why Congressman Markey, in his role as the Chair of the International Commission on Climate and Energy Security for Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment -- or GLOBE – reached an important agreement in Copenhagen this October with China’s Congressman Wang Guangtao, Chairman of the Peoples Congress Environment Protection Committee.

Chairman Markey joins Speaker Pelosi and scientists at launch of ScienceWorksForUS

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Select Committee Chairman Ed Markey joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Members of Congress, along with representatives of the nation’s leading public and private research universities to launch ScienceWorksForUS, an initiative to highlight the scientific research and related activities made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 2009.

Markey statement on U.S. - China climate and clean energy agreement

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Follows Similar Agreement Forged Between Markey and Chairman Wang of Chinese Congress

In response to today’s agreement between U.S. President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao to cooperate on clean energy and climate initiatives, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House and co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill, issued the following statement:

“This agreement shows that economic competition and cooperation are not mutually exclusive, especially when solving the grave threat of climate change is at stake.

“This significant agreement offers a blueprint for international clean energy cooperation between the U.S. and China, and for the rest of the world. With crucial international climate negotiations in Copenhagen just weeks away, the U.S. and China have proven today that the international community can find common ground on key energy issues.

“Just a few weeks ago, along with 100 other legislators from around the world, Chairman Wang Guangtao of the National People's Congress and I reached a similar accord to cooperate on clean energy and set a clear path forward on combating climate change.

“In just a month, the conventional wisdom on U.S.-Chinese climate politics has been turned on its head, and not a moment too soon. With just days to go before nearly 200 countries meet in Copenhagen to forge a new way forward on climate and clean energy, this agreement shows that the last remaining roadblocks are being pushed aside.”

For more information on the COP-15 climate change conference in Copenhagen, CLICK HERE

Markey statement on new international climate accord strategy

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Following the announcement today by President Obama and other world leaders that a new, two-stage strategy to reach an international climate agreement will not include a binding agreement reached in Copenhagen, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill and Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement:

"After eight years of the Bush administration being the wallflower of climate negotiations, this climate change two-step is the best diplomatic dance President Obama and other world leaders can do to reach an equitable and effective agreement.

"While it is obviously disappointing that the world is not ready to reach a binding international climate accord, that should not diminish the great strides the United States has made over the last year to achieve success.

"This year, the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate bill, and the Obama administration reached a consensus with automakers and regulators to increase fuel economy standards and cut global warming tailpipe emissions, along with $80 billion investments in clean energy delivered from the stimulus package.

"Because of the momentum here in the United States and abroad to produce more clean energy and less global warming pollution, I remain highly optimistic that we will still reach an international climate agreement."

Markey to Obama Admin: Cape Wind decision needed by Copenhagen

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Finalizing decision would send world strong message on U.S. Clean Energy commitment, says Chairman Markey

With less than a month before pivotal international climate negotiations begin in Copenhagen, Denmark, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today urged the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to complete a decision on the Cape Wind energy project before those negotiations occur, saying it would send a strong signal to the world that the United States is committed to advancing carbon-free clean energy.

“Approving the Cape Wind project as the nation’s first commercial offshore wind project before the start of the U.N. conference would send a strong message to international negotiators about the United States’ commitment to developing sources of clean energy and reducing global warming pollution,” said Rep. Markey, Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate and clean energy legislation, in the letter. “I strongly support the development of clean, renewable energy, and I believe that wind projects both onshore and offshore hold tremendous promise for our nation and for New England.”

The Interior Department has already completed the environmental review of the Cape Wind project, which Markey notes in the letter is “the bedrock on which valuable and safe energy projects are built.” In the letter, Rep. Markey commends the Obama administration for also “finalizing the regulations for all offshore renewable energy projects on which the Bush administration had dragged its feet for more than three years.”

“With the Obama administration's initiatives and the additional clean energy legislation currently pending before Congress, the tide has turned from the near total focus on fossil fuel extraction towards a comprehensive plan that includes the clean energy promise of the winds and the tides. Approving the Cape Wind project would be another important step towards a clean energy future,” Rep. Markey concludes.

To read the letter, please CLICK HERE.

UPDATE: Select Committee to Hold Hearing on Fraudulent Letters Sent to Congress

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

PLEASE NOTE: This hearing was originally scheduled for October 15. It has been rescheduled to Thursday, October 29 at 9:30 AM

Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming announced today announced the witnesses and location for the investigative hearing into the fraudulent letters sent to Congress on clean energy and climate legislation. The Select Committee has now discovered more than a dozen fraudulent letters were sent to several members of Congress as part of a campaign run by the firm, Bonner & Associates, and contracted by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. This campaign was designed to influence members of Congress on the House-passed Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill.

The hearing will feature some of the central figures in the controversy, including victims of the fraud. The fraudulent letters were staged to appear as if they were sent by groups representing senior citizens, minorities and veterans.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “Fraudulent Letters Opposing Clean Energy Legislation.”

WHEN: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 1100 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC and online at globalwarming.house.gov

WHO:
Representative Tom Perriello, U.S. House of Representatives
Mr. Jack Bonner, Bonner & Associates
Mr. Steve Miller, President and CEO, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
Ms. Lisa M. Maatz, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, American Association of University Women
Mr. Hilary O. Shelton, Director and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy, NAACP Washington Bureau

Markey: ObamaaEUR(TM)s Speech Reaffirms AmericaaEUR(TM)s Commitment to a Clean Energy Future

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C.- Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House and co-author of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the U.S. House in June, issued the following statement after President Barack Obama delivered a speech on clean energy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday afternoon:

"Today President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to our clean energy future and his vision of America leading the clean energy economy of the 21st Century," said Markey. "With President Obama's leadership in the White House and clean energy legislation making its way through Congress, America can win the race for the next great clean energy technologies that will create jobs and revive our economy."

"President Obama also expertly dispelled the myths surrounding clean energy legislation being spread by naysayers and special interests. President Obama knows we can cap carbon pollution without kneecapping our economy."

"States are the laboratories of democracy, and when it comes to clean energy policy there are few more successful labs than Massachusetts. There could have been no better choice for his speech than MIT and the city of Boston, the hub of the clean energy universe."

For more information on the Waxman-Markey clean energy legislation please CLICK HERE.

Markey to Travel to Copenhagen in Run-up to Climate Negotiations

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Will Release Report, Meet with International Legislators

WASHINGTON (October 23, 2009) – U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill, will travel to Copenhagen this weekend for preliminary meetings leading up to the United Nations climate negotiations in December.

Rep. Markey will meet with other legislators from around the world as part of GLOBE International (Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment) to discuss how other countries are progressing towards creating an effective and fair international climate agreement.

Rep. Markey also will release a report from the International Commission on Climate and Energy Security. The report will detail the views of leading legislators among dozens of countries, including Brazil, China, the European Union and others, on the steps they can take to combat global warming. Rep. Markey Chairs the Commission, which is a sub-group of GLOBE.

Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming:

"These meetings show that political consensus can be reached by the countries integral to reaching an international climate agreement. And though the final global warming treaty will be negotiated by environmental ministers, it will be implemented by legislators.

"When it comes to U.S. participation in international negotiations, House passage of the Waxman-Markey bill, and Senate action on similar legislation, are vital to America’s ability to reach a final agreement. I look forward to helping the Obama administration and other countries reach our ultimate goal of success in Copenhagen and beyond."

New GAO Report Highlights U.S. Challenges to Adapt to Expected Global Warming Impacts

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Report Says Most Areas of Country Have Not Yet Acted, But Examples of Success Exist

WASHINGTON (October 22, 2009) – A new report released today by the U.S. Government Accountability Office has found that the majority of federal, state and local officials have not yet taken steps to adapt to the impacts of global warming America can expect, even with deep cuts in carbon emissions. The report, "Climate Change Adaption," includes several case studies and examples of how federal, local, state and even international governments can effectively move forward to protect coastlines, infrastructure, and citizens from rising sea levels, intensifying storms, droughts, and other impacts from global warming.

The report, which was requested by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), coincides with a hearing on the topic of adaptation measures held today in Chairman Markey’s Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

"A robust answer to the threat of climate change includes preventing the worst impacts and preparing for the reality that global warming impacts are already occurring," said Chairman Markey. "If we are going to avoid the worst effects of global warming, we must pass comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation. However, we also must prepare for the effects of global warming that will realistically occur."

The report is available on the GAO’s website here

The GAO authors surveyed nearly 200 officials knowledgeable about adaptation to climate change from federal, state and local government offices and agencies, including planners, scientists and public health officials. The survey showed that lack of funding for adaptation measures (83.8 percent of respondents) and the complexity of future impacts (76.7 percent of respondents) are "very or extremely challenging" barriers to addressing adaptation.

However, case studies in the report show that there are examples of effective local, state and international programs to reduce vulnerability from climate impacts. The report focused on the state of Maryland’s efforts to protect low-elevation habitat and infrastructure from future sea-level rise and storms; New York City’s integrated carbon-cutting and infrastructure-protecting campaign; King County, Washington’s plan to protect water systems and prevent flooding; and London’s tidal gates holding back storm surges in the River Thames.

The Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June, establishes a number of programs and services to encourage adaptation efforts. All told, the Waxman-Markey bill provides nearly $25 billion in the first ten years of the program towards adaptation efforts.

The bill would create a National Climate Change Adaptation Program within the U.S. Global Change Research Program and launch a National Climate Service within NOAA to develop and distribute climate information and forecasts to decision-makers and a Climate Change Adaptation Panel to promote interagency coordination on adaptation. The legislation requires that the Secretary of Health and Human Services and federal agencies prepare adaptation plans. The bill also provides funding for adaptation efforts, including a Natural Resources Climate Change Adaptation Fund that would provide support to states and federal agencies.

Select Committee Hearing: Preparing the United States for Global WarmingaEUR(TM)s Impacts

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, DC – The consequences of global warming in the United States will be significant even in the case of deep reductions in future heat-trapping emissions. The current and anticipated impacts -- including sea level rise, more frequent heat waves, regional drought and flooding, and more intense tropical storms -- pose a serious threat to our health, environment, economic well-being, and national security.

While Congress works to curb carbon pollution to avoid the worst effects of global warming, America must look at adaptation measures that will protect communities from harm caused by global warming that is already set to occur.

On Thursday October 22, 2009 at 9:30 a.m., the Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming will hold a hearing on adaptation entitled, "Building U.S. Resilience to Global Warming Impacts" in room 2175 Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses will be by invitation only.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing "Building U.S. Resilience to Global Warming Impacts"

WHEN: Thursday October 22, 2009 at 9:30 AM

WHERE:2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC and online

WHO:
John Stephenson, Natural Resources and Environment, Government Accountability Office
Eric Schwaab, Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Stephen Seidel, V.P. for Policy Analysis & Gen. Counsel, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Kenneth Green, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

Markey Cheers on Boston Solar Decathlon Team from Tufts University and BAC on National Mall

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Touring a solar powered home outfitted for New England winters, Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Malden) praised students from Tuft’s University and Boston Architectural College who are competing in the Solar Decathlon competition taking place on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

The Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the Department of Energy, brings together twenty teams of students from around the world who design, engineer and construct solar powered, energy saving homes on the National Mall.

Bringing the Boston area students a familiar treat –a box of Dunkin Donuts – Markey stopped in between votes to praise the creativity, originality and cost saving practicality of the solar home.

“I am proud to see Tufts and Team Boston representing Massachusetts here on the National Mall,” said Markey. “These students are not just building a home for a competition; they are building the foundation for a clean energy economy – where families can harness the power of solar and efficiency measures to save energy, save money and help save our planet at the same time.”

Congressman Markey is the Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He co-authored the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act which includes green building provisions, renewable electricity and efficiency measures that were on display during the Solar Decathlon competition.

“Much like this competition, the United States is currently in a race with China, Spain and other nations for clean energy jobs and technology. The students on the Mall this week represent the best and the brightest, reminding Congress that renewable technology is ready today. We just have to unleash it.” Markey said.

About the Solar Decathlon:

The Solar Decathlon is a competition sponsored by the Department of Energy and features twenty teams of college and university students who compete to design, build, and operate an energy-efficient solar-powered house. The houses are judged in ten separate contests including architecture, engineering, lighting design, and net metering. An overall winner will be announced on Friday, October 16. The solar houses are open for public viewing on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

About Team Boston:

Tufts University and Boston Architectural College students joined forces to form Team Boston. Together the architecture, engineering, and design students built Curio House. Among a host of innovative energy efficiency elements, the house features several unique technologies. A monitoring system on a home computer allows homeowners to track energy use in real time, which enables them to make adjustments to reduce energy bills and environmental impact. The design also incorporates “heat glass”- a new type of glass that traps energy from the sun during the winter- a feature especially suited to cold winters in New England.

Video from the event

Photos from Team Boston

Chairman Markey inside Team Boston's solar house

Chairman Markey brings a box of Dunkin Donuts to Team Boston

Chairman Markey listening to a member from Team Boston

"Team Boston" Solar Decathlon house on the National Mall

The Boston team members chat with visitors on the National Mall

Looking out at the "Team Boston" solar house and Washington Monument

Photos from the Decathlon

University of Minnesota's Solar Decathlon House

Team California's House in front of the Capitol Building

View of the Capitol with Solar Houses in Foreground

Cornell University's Solar House

Virginia Tech's Solar Decathlon House

Rice University's Solar Decathlon House

Select Committee to Hold Hearing on Fraudulent Letters Sent to Congress

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

PLEASE NOTE: This hearing was originally scheduled for October 15. It has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 29 at 9:30 AM

For more information, please CLICK HERE.

Markey: ObamaaEUR(TM)s Nobel Prize Recognizes Connection Between Future of Planet and Choices on Energy and Weapons

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (October 9, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill and a leader on non-proliferation issues, today hailed the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama.

Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the founder of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Non-proliferation:

"This award recognizes the vital connection between the future of our planet and our choices on energy and weapons. Due to Obama’s leadership here in the United States, we can once again take a leading role around the world to solve our energy, environment, and global security problems."

"I congratulate President Obama on this historic honor, and look forward to years of continued success on these challenges that affect all Americans, and all citizens of the world."

Markey to Chamber: Follow Those Companies That Want Action, Not Talk

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (October 8, 2009) -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill, today noted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s statements supporting the goals of the Waxman-Markey bill. Rep. Markey called on the Chamber to follow forward-thinking companies like Apple, Nike, Exelon, PG&E and others who have left the Chamber because of the group’s continued failure to match action with their own words.

“It is good to have the Chamber of Commerce on board supporting the tenets of Waxman-Markey. Unfortunately, while the Chamber says they are for everything the Waxman-Markey bill addresses, they are just not for the bill itself,” said Rep. Markey, who Chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “The Chamber should listen to the companies who would rather leave the group than wait for it to back up their talk with action.”

The Chamber today defined a successful piece of legislation as one that “must include all major CO2 emitting economies, promote new technologies, emphasize efficiency, ensure affordable energy for families and businesses, and help create American jobs and return our economy to prosperity.”

The Waxman-Markey bill:

Includes major CO2 emitting economies: Does not regulate China, India or other countries, as that is not under Congressional jurisdiction, but it does promote international technology cooperation, international deforestation prevention, international investments, and sets the stage for an international agreement to be made with all countries;
Promotes new technologies: provides $200 billion to research and deploy clean energy technologies, and establishes a Green Bank that can provide funding for renewable energy, nuclear and other emerging technologies, and creates Clean Energy Hubs that will help link inventors with investors;
Emphasize efficiency: sets a national efficiency standard and updates the efficiency of appliances, homes, buildings, and vehicles;
Ensure affordable energy for families and businesses: according to the CBO, EIA, and EPA analyses, the Waxman-Markey bill would cost about a postage stamp a day, with electricity rates rising no more than 3 to 4 percent—and that’s before the savings from energy efficiency reduces energy bills for all consumers;
Help create American jobs and return our economy to prosperity: several studies have pointed to the millions of jobs that could be created from clean energy legislation, and clean energy innovation and jobs are key to the long-term recovery of our nation’s economy.

Markey: SCOTUS Silence on Kerr-McGee Could Mean $54 Billion in Taxpayer Losses

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (October 5, 2009) -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels and is a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee, today expressed disappointment that the Supreme Court will not hear a case involving tens of billions of dollars in unclaimed oil drilling royalties. Rep. Markey -- who has introduced and passed legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to protect taxpayers from royalty-free drilling -- reiterated his long-standing call for legislation.

The so-called "Kerr-McGee" case involves faulty lease agreements with the federal government that have allowed oil companies to drill for free on public lands. The case, originally brought by oil company Kerr-McGee -- now Anadarko – has served as a test case for every other oil company holding a deepwater Gulf of Mexico lease issued by the Interior Department in 1996, 1997 and 2000. The result of this case could now mean that the federal government could lose between $20 and $54 billion, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office.

"The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Kerr-McGee’s brazen lawsuit means that the oil industry now stands to see a geyser of tens of billions of dollars in windfall profits at the expense of American taxpayers," said Rep. Markey. "At a time when the federal budget is already in the red, this lawsuit means that oil companies can drill here, drill now, and pay never."

The House-passed legislation authored by Rep. Markey would provide a strong incentive for companies holding faulty leases to renegotiate by preventing them from signing new lease agreements unless they renegotiate the old, free-drilling proposals. The Congressional Research Service has concluded that Rep. Markey’s legislation would protect the federal government from losses relating to royalty-free drilling.

"The minerals below our public lands belong to the American people and no company should be allowed to exploit them for free," continued Rep. Markey. "I have been working to ensure that the American people receive a proper return on these public resources since former Secretary of the Interior James Watt tried to give away the rights to mine the Powder River Basin for a fraction of their value, and I will continue to defend the public interest and the American taxpayer."

Markey: Senate Bill Shows a Congressional Solution on Climate, Clean Energy is Within Sight

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (September 30, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act, praised his Senate colleagues John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) for their aggressive draft clean energy jobs and climate legislation, released today.

Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee:

"With the release of this Senate draft bill, there is now Congress-wide movement to pass a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill. Given the Senate draft’s structural similarity to the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill, a legislative solution that can pass both chambers of Congress is finally within sight.

"Just as in Waxman-Markey, the Senate draft bill includes many provisions to help America make the transition away from foreign oil and to a clean energy future, including robust consumer protection and worker training measures.

"As the bill moves through the Senate process, I will continue to work with Senators Kerry and Boxer, and any other Senators, to ensure that the final legislation we send to President Obama creates a future with more clean energy and less global warming pollution."

Markey: New report of more than 6 degrees warming not the worst-case scenario

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, released the following statement concerning a new report released today from the United Nations Environment Program that indicates more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit of warming is predicted, even if the pollution targets in Waxman-Markey and by other international efforts are met:

“As sobering as this report is, it is not the worst-case scenario. That would be if the world does nothing and allows heat-trapping pollution to continue to spew unchecked into the atmosphere.

“Waxman-Markey cuts U.S. global warming emissions 83 percent by 2050, and encourages key international efforts like avoiding deforestation. This alarming report shows the urgency of getting started now, because history shows that we can cut pollution further, faster and cheaper once we get started.”

Markey praises Obama for renewing commitment to international climate agreement

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Waxman-Markey Bill would Meet Climate Targets set by G8 Earlier this Year

Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate bill and Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued the following statement after President Barack Obama delivered a speech today at the UN Climate Change Summit renewing his commitment to an international climate agreement.

“Today, President Obama delivered a forceful argument for swift and bold international action to fight the catastrophic effects of global climate change,” said Markey. “To combat this grave threat, we must negotiate globally and act locally. Congress must pass comprehensive clean energy legislation as soon as possible to show the world we are committed to a clean energy future and help make the Copenhagen climate negotiations a success this December.”

The recently-passed Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill would allow the U.S. to meet the new agreement forged recently at a G8 summit to reduce global warming emissions by 80 percent by 2050 among industrialized nations, and a 50 percent worldwide reduction including developing countries. The Waxman-Markey bill reduces U.S. emissions 83 percent by 2050.

Hearing 9/24: Solar Heats Up

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This hearing will be webcast LIVE on Thursday, September 24 at 1:30 PM.

WASHINGTON – With sales growing 40 percent annually and costs falling rapidly, solar power has emerged as a core technology in America’s transition a clean energy economy. Solar energy brings opportunity in the form of new jobs and rapid technological development. It also presents potential new challenges in the way we use land and infrastructure and the way we distribute and store energy.

On Thursday, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled, "Solar Heats Up: Accelerating Widespread Deployment," examining current issues in solar energy development.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: "Solar Heats Up: Accelerating Widespread Deployment"
WHEN: 1:30 PM, Thursday, September 24, 2009
WHERE: 2318 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC and online
WHO:
Dr. Stephanie A. Burns, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dow Corning
Frank De Rosa, Chief Executive Officer, NextLight Renewable Power
Steve Kline, Vice President for Corporate Environmental and Federal Affairs, Pacific Gas & Electric
Ms. Nada Culver, Esq., Senior Counsel, The Wilderness Society
Dr. Gabriel Calzada, Economics Professor, King Juan Carlos University

Markey: New Rules Will Solve Fuel Economy RubikaEUR(TM)s Cube

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Markey Announces Hearing Examining New Rules

WASHINGTON (September 15, 2009) -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today praised the Obama administration for its swift issuance of proposed fuel economy rules to raise the national standards above 35 miles per gallon by 2016. Rep. Markey is co-author of the updated fuel economy standards adopted by Congress in 2007, a measure that required the federal government to raise standards for both cars and light trucks to a fleet-wide average of at least 35 miles per gallon and that the maximum feasible standard be set each year.

“These new fuel economy rules have finally solved the energy and environmental policy Rubik’s Cube that has kept the auto industry, states and environmentalists in a seemingly endless loop of litigation. Cash for Clunkers showed that there is intense consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles. These new fuel economy standards will deliver those vehicles to showrooms across America for decades to come,” said Rep. Markey.

Markey announced today that he would soon hold an oversight hearing to review the new proposed fuel economy rule. Markey chairs the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over fuel economy standards and tailpipe emissions standards.

The new standards would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles purchased during 2012-16 and would cut global warming pollution by 950 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The vehicles purchased during those years would also save the average driver $3,000 in fuel costs over the life of the vehicle.

“As someone who has pushed for stronger fuel economy standards for decades, the difference between then and now is like being stuck in stop-and-go traffic and hitting every green light on your way home,” said Rep. Markey.

Hearing 9/10: Road to Copenhagen and International Climate Agreement

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY for Thursday September 10th, 2009

Select Committee Hearing 9/10: Roadmap to Copenhagen -Driving Towards Success on International Climate Agreement

Todd Stern, Key Obama Administration Official on Climate Negotiations, to Testify

WEBCAST: CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE

WASHINGTON D.C. – With less than 100 days before the international community will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Climate Conference, negotiators are engaged in key discussions on clean energy measures and pollution limits that will be central to an international climate agreement.

On Thursday September 10th, 2009 the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled, “Roadmap to Copenhagen – Driving towards Success." The hearing will begin at 9:30 AM, and be held on the U.S. Capitol Complex ROOM NUMBER TBA.

The hearing will focus on progress made thus far and challenges remaining as the December UN climate negotiations approach. It will feature testimony from the Obama Administration’s top climate negotiator, Todd Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. Department of State.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Hearing, “Roadmap to Copenhagen – Driving towards Success."
WHEN: Thursday September 10th, 2009, 9:30 AM.
WHERE: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC, and Online.
WITNESS LIST: Todd Stern, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change, U.S. Department of State.
For more information, please visit: www.globalwarming.house.gov

Select Committee Forged Letter Investigation Update

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

5 More Letters Revealed, Dozens Still Must be Verified

Faked Letters From Elderly Services and Senior Centers; Chairman Markey Demands Full Review of Remaining Letters

A Congressional investigation has discovered five new letters fraudulently sent without consent to Congress on a key energy and climate vote. These new letters purport to represent elderly services organizations and senior centers.

Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the letters today as part of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming's ongoing investigation into the extent of fraudulent letters sent by Bonner & Associates -- a so-called "astroturf" group subcontracted by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity -- to influence members of Congress on the recently-passed Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill.

The five letters revealed today brings the total number of fraudulent letters to 13, now representing 9 different community groups. The letters released today were staged to appear as if they were sent by groups representing senior citizen services like the non-profit Erie Center on Health & Aging. Previous letters already made public were from the Charlottesville NAACP chapter, Creciendo Juntos, a hispanic advocacy organization, the Jefferson Area Board on Aging, and the American Association of University Women.

The letters released today are also the first set to show that letters were sent to Pennsylvania members Kathy Dahlkemper (D-Pa.) and Christopher Carney (D-Pa.), along with Tom Perriello (D-Va.). A full list of all the letters, with links to copies of the documents, is included below.

"We’ve seen fear-mongering with our nation’s senior citizens with health care, and now we’re seeing fraud-mongering with senior citizens on clean energy," said Chairman Markey. "Lately, democratic debate has been deceptively debased by fake facts and harsh rhetoric. We must return to an honest discussion of the issues, and ensure that this sort of campaign does not further poison the well of trustworthy debate."

The letters were sent to the Select Committee in response to investigatory letters to Bonner & Associates and ACCCE. Dozens of letters still remain that must be verified as genuine or false--all told, 58 letters were sent to the three members of Congress. Chairman Markey has called on ACCCE and Bonner & Associates to fully verify whether the remaining several dozen letters were sent under false pretenses, or if they represent the views of the signers.

Below is a list of all fraudulent letters now received by the Select Committee:

Perriello:
Senior Center Inc., Charlottesville, VA
Creciendo Juntos, Charlottesville, VA [previously made public]
Jefferson Area Board on Aging, Charlottesville, VA [previously made public]
American Association of University Women, Charlottesville, VA [previously made public]
NAACP-Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA [5 letters] [previously made public]
NAACP-1, NAACP-2, NAACP-3, NAACP-4, NAACP-5

Dahlkemper:
Slippery Rock Senior Center, Slippery Rock, PA
Erie Center on Health & Aging, Eire, PA
Butler Senior Center, Lyndora, PA

Carney:
Dunmore Senior Citizens’ Center, Dunmore, PA

Markey hails final passage of cash for clunkers program

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Success Shows Democratic Congress’ Clean Energy Plan is Working

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), one of the authors of the Cash for Clunkers program, today hailed the Senate passage of a bill to extend the highly successful program with an additional $2 billion in funding. In the House, Rep. Markey also pushed to ensure that the money to fund the extension, which will be used from a clean energy fund from the Recovery Act, would be replenished to further America’s clean energy goals. The bill now heads to the President’s desk, where it is expected to be signed quickly.

Below is the statement of Rep. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the House Energy and Commerce Energy and Environment subcommittee:

“This wildly successful program has already proven to be a win for the economy, a win for energy independence and an overwhelming win for consumers,” said Markey. “The success of Cash for Clunkers shows the Democrats clean energy plan accomplishes the goals it set out to do -- stimulating the economy, increasing our energy independence and helping to preserve our planet.”

According to reports on the more than 200,000 Cash for Clunkers purchases thus far:

The average fuel economy of new vehicles purchased under the program is 25.4 mpg, and the average fuel economy of trade-ins is 15.8 mpg. The average increase in fuel economy is 9.6 MPG, or a 61% improvement. This will result in annual consumer savings of $700-$1000 in gas prices.
83% of trade-ins under the program are trucks, and 59% of new vehicle purchases are cars. Cars purchased under the program are, on average, 21% above the average fuel economy of all new cars currently available, and 63% above the average fuel economy of cars that were traded in.
In July, Ford’s hybrid vehicles (Fusion, Milan, Escape and Mariner) posted combined sales of 5,353, a record for any month and up 323% versus a year ago.
During the week that the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program was launched, GM’s small car sales increased 54.8% over the preceding week. GM Compact car sales were up 36.9% during the same period. Specifically, the Chevy Aveo – one of GM’s most fuel-efficient vehicles at 30 mpg (EPA) – saw a sales increase of 58.9% during the week that the CARS program was launched.

The economic up-side doesn’t end in the auto industry:

Companies that produce sodium silicate, the substance used to ‘kill’ the clunkers, are experiencing record sales.
Sirius XM stock value has experienced a surge because its units are getting installed in the new vehicles
Some economists see more major impacts: "The blowout response to the cash-for-clunkers incentive program has been far stronger than we expected," wrote Morgan Stanley economist Richard Berner in a note Monday. He now thinks GDP will grow 3% to 4%, up from his firm's earlier forecast of 1%.”
Steel demand is beginning to pick up again after eight months and should benefit from the "Cash for Clunkers" auto rebate program, the chief executive of steelmaker Nucor Corp (NUE.N) said on Wednesday.

New Report Validates Affordability of Waxman-Markey

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (August 4, 2009) -- A new report on the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act validates previous estimates that the cost of the legislation would be low—less than a quarter a day on average—while growth in America’s clean energy sector will be huge.

The report, issued by the Energy Information Administration, was requested by Chairmen Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the co-authors of the legislation.

The report is available on the EIA website here: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/hr2454/index.html

A fact sheet is available here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090804/eia.aces.factsheet.pdf

Below are some of the major findings of the report:

The overall impact on the average household, including the benefit of many of the energy efficiency provisions in the legislation, would be 23 cents per day ($83 per year). This is consistent with analyses by the Congressional Budget Office which projects a cost of 48 cents per day ($175 per year) and the Environmental Protection Agency which projects a cost of 22 to 30 cents per day ($80 to $111 per year).
Renewable electricity generation is "dramatically higher" under Waxman-Markey, increasing renewable generation 28 percent by 2030.
Advanced carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology would come online before 2020 and lead to 69 gigawatts of new CCS coal-fired generation by 2030.
Roughly 83 percent of new electricity generating capacity would be low or zero carbon.

Below is the statement of Chairmen Henry Waxman and Edward J. Markey:

"The evidence is now overwhelming that this clean energy legislation is both affordable and effective. American clean energy will grow substantially, and so will clean energy jobs that can’t be shipped overseas."

Markey Announces Investigation into Forged Letters from DC Lobbying Firm

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4012

Markey Announces Investigation into Forged Letters to Congressman

DC Lobbying Firm Sent Fake Letters Opposing Clean Energy Legislation

WASHINGTON (July 31, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement in response to news reports of forged letters being sent to a Member of Congress by a Washington lobbying firm working against clean energy legislation:

“This fraud on Congress shows that some opponents of clean energy have resorted to forgery and theft to block progress.

“This is an appalling abuse, and Congressman Tom Perriello deserves great credit for seeing through it and casting a vote that will create clean energy jobs in Virginia and throughout the United States. I encourage all Members of Congress to be on the lookout for other suspicious and illegal materials.

“My Select Committee will immediately begin an investigation of the extent and scope of this activity.”

# # #

Markey: Cash for Clunkers a Success for Economy, Environment - Program Should Continue

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4012

Cash for Clunkers Should Continue, Says One of The Authors of Original Act

Congress Will Work With Administration to Further Wildly Successful
Program, Says Chairman Markey

WASHINGTON (July 30, 2009) – One of the original authors of the Cash for Clunkers program today pledged to work with the Obama administration to ensure the program continues, after reports have emerged that the $1 billion program may have already approached its funding limit after only four days. The program was first created as part of the Waxman-Markey energy bill, and, after the Obama Administration implemented it in record time, has become one of the most successful stimulus programs of 2009.

“Cash for Clunkers may have run out of cash, but America’s consumers haven’t run out of clunkers. We’re going to work with the Obama administration to keep this wildly successful program going until it reaches its goal of helping consumers take 1 million gas guzzlers off the road,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who co-authored the legislation.

Preliminary statistics show that consumers who have participated in the program have received a 69 percent improvement in miles per gallon average from their trade-in vehicles, and will reap an average annual gasoline savings of $750. These preliminary statistics, from www.CashForClunkersInformation.org, also show that 79 percent of trade-ins are SUVs, trucks and vans with over 100,000 miles and most are being replaced with new passenger cars.

Reports Show Efficiency Measures a Clear Win for Consumer Savings

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Waxman-Markey paves the way with over $100 billion in energy efficiency investment

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two reports released this week highlight the potential for energy efficiency to help Americans meet their energy needs while saving massive amounts of money.

In separate reports released by McKinsey & Company and the National Academy of Sciences, energy efficiency is confirmed to be a vast, mostly untapped energy resource in the United States that is a clear winner on three fronts:

Helps meet increasing U.S. energy demand;
Saves Americans money;
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

The McKinsey report released Wednesday finds that a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy executed economy-wide would yield more than $1.2 trillion in energy savings, well above the $520 billion needed for upfront energy efficiency investments. Such a program would reduce energy consumption roughly 23 percent by 2020 and avoid the emission of more than one billion tons of greenhouse gases annually. This is equal to the annual emissions of 200 large coal power plants.

"An efficient economy is an effective economy. These studies support our national efforts to increase the energy efficiency of America's power plants, homes and businesses," said Congressman Edward J. Markey, Chairman of twin energy and environment panels in the House. "My mother always told me, 'work smarter, not harder.' We can use energy in smarter ways, create an electricity internet Smart Grid, and get our smartest inventors working on new energy technologies."

In a joint report released Tuesday, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering found that "the deployment of existing energy-efficiency technologies is the nearest-term and lowest-cost option for moderating our nation's demand for energy, especially over the next decade." Accelerated deployment of currently available energy-saving technologies in the buildings, industrial, and transportation sectors could reduce energy use by 15 percent by 2020 compared to business as usual and by 30 percent by 2030. This would more than offset future increases in energy consumption projected by the Department of Energy.

The reports also agree that these gains from energy efficiency will not be achieved without targeted policies that support energy efficiency investment. The Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454), which passed out of the House of Representatives last month, includes energy efficiency provisions and investments likely to exceed $100 billion through 2025, including:

A renewable electricity and energy efficiency standard that requires utilities to obtain 20 percent of their energy from renewables and efficiency by 2020. This would put utilities in the business of helping their customers use energy more efficiently;
Enhanced building codes that achieve 30% and 50% higher energy efficiency in 2010 and 2016;
Cost-effective energy efficiency programs for natural gas consumers;
State and local government funds for implementing renewable energy and efficiency projects;
Increased appliance and lighting standards;
Building efficiency program for retrofitting existing residential and commercial buildings;
Energy efficient manufactured home program provides rebates toward purchases of new Energy Star-rated manufactured homes for low-income families residing in pre-1976 manufactured homes.

Hearing 7/29: American Made Energy: Intellectual Property Rights

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Select Committee Hearing to Focus on International Intellectual Property Rights for Global Climate Solutions

The key to solving climate change and developing clean energy is technology, and at the center of technology are intellectual property rights. In the Space Race, America had a singular competitor. In the Clean Energy Race to stop global warming, America is competing with the Chinese, Germans, Koreans, and countless others. How these countries and the world deal with intellectual property rights will have a huge impact on whether technology is available and deployed to solve our global problems.

On Wednesday July 29th, 2009 the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled, "Climate for Innovation: Technology and Intellectual Property in Global Climate Solutions." The hearing will begin at 9:30 AM, and be held in 210 Cannon House Office Building.

This hearing will examine the impact of intellectual property rights on global warming solutions and how to encourage American innovation while spreading climate related technologies globally. Technology transfer and cooperation are part of the international climate regime and have become an important issue regarding negotiations on the future international climate agreement, and in the debate heading into the UN Climate Change Conference this December in Copenhagen.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Hearing, "Climate for Innovation: Technology and Intellectual Property in Global Climate Solutions"

WHEN: Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC, and Online

WITNESS LIST:
-Mr. Govi Rao, Chairman, Lighting Science Group Corporation
-Mr. Robert T. Nelsen, Co-founder and Managing Director, ARCH Venture Partners
-Ms. Jennifer Haverkamp, Managing Director for International Policy & Negotiations, Environmental Defense Fund
-Dr. Mark Esper, Executive Vice President Global Intellectual Property Center, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Hearing 7/28: New Technology Solutions - Carbon Capture and Sequestration and Solar

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Hearing to Feature Next Generation Solar Technology, and Companies Sequestering CO2 in Cement and Under Ocean Floor

This hearing will be webcast LIVE on Tuesday, July 28th at 9:30 AM.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Cutting pollution and meeting global warming emissions reduction targets will require the deployment of new technology solutions, opening pathways for job growth in new clean energy industries. Advanced coal and large scale solar projects provide a window to the future of low carbon technology and job opportunities.

On Tuesday, July 28th, the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hear from cutting edge experts in solar and carbon capture technology in a hearing, "New Technologies: What’s Around the Corner." The hearing will begin at 9:30 AM, and take place in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building. This hearing will also be webcast live from the Select Committee website.

The hearing will feature companies that are working to capture CO2 from power plants -- one placing it under the ocean floor and another combining CO2 with seawater to make cement. In addition, the Committee will hear from solar entrepreneurs who are developing solar panels with greater strength and efficiency that use fewer raw materials in production.

Between now and 2030, over $20 trillion will be invested in energy infrastructure worldwide, and an estimated $1.5 trillion will be invested by the U.S. power sector alone. With the recent House passage of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) the United States government would invest $190 billion in clean energy solutions in order to meet growing international competition for new energy technology. Low carbon solutions will be necessary to meet emissions reduction of 80% by 2050, goals set forth by both the G8 agreement and the Waxman-Markey legislation.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Hearing, "New Technologies: What’s Around the Corner"

WHEN: Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC and ONLINE

WITNESS LIST:
Dr. Greg Kunkel: Vice President for Environmental Affairs, Tenaska Inc.
Mr. Frank Smith: Chief Executive Officer, PURGeN One LLC
Dr. Brent Constantz: Chief Executive Officer, Calera Corporation
Dr. Emanuel Sachs: Chief Technical Officer, 1366 Technologies Inc.
Mr. Sean Gallagher: Vice President, Tessera Solar
Mr. Gary Spitznogle: Manager IGCC and Gas Plant Engineering, American Electric Power

Landing a Clean Energy Victory

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Originally posted July 20, 2009 on the Huffington Post

The Huffington Post

Landing a Clean Energy Victory

By Edward J. Markey | July 20, 2009 | http://huffingtonpost.com

Forty years ago today, Americans sat transfixed in front of televisions sets watching the first landing on the Moon. We had just won the space race, meeting a technological and political challenge issued by President Kennedy a mere eight years earlier. It was, in Armstrong's words, "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

A few weeks ago, the House of Representatives took a giant legislative leap in America's historic effort to win the next great technological revolution: the clean energy race of the 21st century. This race is more important for America to win (and, thankfully, easier).

On June 26th, the House passed the first comprehensive clean energy and climate bill in our nation's history--the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act. The bill would--for the first time--set domestic limits on the carbon pollution that causes global warming, establish ambitious policies for the development and deployment of clean energy and efficiency, and invest nearly $200 billion in the next fifteen years to make America once again the leader, not the laggard, in energy technology.

Read the full text at the Huffington Post.

Waxman-Markey Would Meet New G8 Climate Targets

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Legitimacy Has Returned to International Climate Talks, Says Chairman Markey

WASHINGTON (July 8, 2009) – The recently-passed Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill would allow the U.S. to meet the new agreement forged today at the G8 summit to reduce global warming emissions by 80 percent by 2050 among industrialized nations, and a 50 percent worldwide reduction including developing countries. The Waxman-Markey bill reduces U.S. emissions 83 percent by 2050.

Below is the statement of Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), co-author of the Waxman-Markey climate bill and Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming:

“For the first time in history, all the stars are beginning to align in the fight against global warming. Congress, the president, and now the international community are all backing strong cuts in global warming pollution. It is no longer a matter of whether we will forge a robust international agreement to cut dangerous heat-trapping pollution, but when. And that ‘when’ is looking more and more like it will be in Copenhagen this December.

“The Waxman-Markey bill, combined with President Obama’s leadership on this issue, has finally given the United States the legitimacy to sit down with other countries to hammer out an international solution to global warming. Now that the United States and other industrialized countries have moved forward on global warming, it is time for China and India and other large emitters to make commitments to control their emissions as well.”

House Passes Historic Waxman-Markey Clean Energy Bill

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, DC — Today the House of Representatives passed the landmark American Clean Energy and Security Act , sponsored by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

This landmark bill will revitalize our economy by creating millions of new jobs, increase our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and preserve our planet by reducing the pollution that causes global warming.

“Today we have taken decisive and historic action to promote America’s energy security and to create millions of clean energy jobs that will drive our economic recovery and long-term growth,” said Chairman Waxman. “After more than three decades of being held hostage to the influence of foreign energy suppliers, this legislation at long last begins to break our addiction to imported foreign oil and put us on a path to true energy security.”

“Today the House has passed the most important energy and environment bill in our nation’s history,” said Chairman Markey. “Scientists say that global warming is a dangerous man-made problem. Today we are saying clean energy will be the American-made solution. This legislation will create jobs by the millions, save money by the billions and unleash investment in clean energy by the trillions.”

The bill contains the following key provisions:

Requires electric utilities to meet 20% of their electricity demand through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2020.
Invests $190 billion in new clean energy technologies and energy efficiency, including energy efficiency and renewable energy ($90 billion in new investments by 2025), carbon capture and sequestration ($60 billion), electric and other advanced technology vehicles ($20 billion), and basic scientific research and development ($20 billion).
Mandates new energy-saving standards for buildings, appliances, and industry.
Reduces carbon emissions from major U.S. sources by 17% by 2020 and over 80% by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Complementary measures in the legislation, such as investments in preventing tropical deforestation, will achieve significant additional reductions in carbon emissions.
Protects consumers from energy price increases. According to recent analyses from the Congressional Budget Office and the Environmental Protection Agency, the legislation will cost each household less than 50 cents per day in 2020 (not including energy efficiency savings).

For more information on the Waxman Markey legislation, including a resource packet, please CLICK HERE.

Please visit the Committee on Energy and Commerce's website to access the full text of the bill along with additional materials.

Markey Applauds Obama Lighting Standards and Efficiency Move

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 202-225-4012

Markey: Obama Lighting Standards, Waxman-Markey Combine to Create Historic Energy Week

Markey, Author of Original Appliance Standard Legislation and Co-author of Waxman-Markey, Says Massive Political Shift on Energy Is Underway

WASHINGTON (June 29, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels in the House and is the co-author of the clean energy incentives legislation that passed the House on Friday, as well as the author of the original 1987 legislation that established mandatory nationwide appliance efficiency standards, hailed today’s move by President Barack Obama to finalize energy efficiency standards for light bulbs and lighting systems, invest in building efficiency and press for quick Senate action on energy and global warming legislation.

“Passing Waxman-Markey late Friday, and the president’s announcement on lighting standards and building efficiency on Monday means that in just one weekend America has made historic strides moving towards a more efficient, clean energy future,” Rep. Markey said today, noting that the Waxman-Markey bill that passed the House last week included a national energy efficiency standard and updates to efficiency standards for buildings, lighting systems, and appliances.

“Today’s move by the president shows that this administration is committed to transforming our nation's energy economy towards a much greater emphasis on energy efficiency.

“We are seeing new momentum from both Congress and the administration on clean energy, global warming, fuel economy and energy efficiency. President Obama recognizes that if we want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we need to do more to make ourselves more energy efficient and provide the incentives needed to develop clean energy technologies.

“President Obama recognizes this historical moment, and with his leadership, we will unleash a new clean energy revolution in America that will create millions of new jobs.”

# # #

CBO: Waxman-Markey Costs about a Postage Stamp a Day, Saves Low-Income Families Money

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

June 20, 2009

Chairmen Henry A. Waxman and Edward J. Markey, co-authors of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454) said that a new analysis of the bill by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows the that the net annual cost of the legislation would be approximately $175 per household in 2020. This analysis comes on the heels of a new study that found 1.7 million jobs would be created by the clean energy legislation.

"This analysis underscores that this legislation is effective and affordable," said Rep. Waxman. "It sets America on a course of energy independence while taking significant steps to reduce dangerous global warming pollution."

"Americans know that building a clean energy economy has real value, and this CBO analysis proves it," said Rep. Markey. "Low-income American families will see a $40 benefit from using more wind and solar energy and less foreign oil. And for the cost of about a postage stamp a day, all American families will see a return on their investment as our nation breaks our dependence on foreign oil, cuts dangerous carbon pollution and creates millions of new clean energy jobs that can't be shipped overseas."

CBO estimated the costs of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, to ascertain the average cost per household that would result from implementing the provisions that cap carbon emissions, as well as how the costs would affect different levels of household income.

CBO states "the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the net annual countrywide cost of the cap-and-trade program in 2020 would be $22 billion - or about $175 per household."

CBO specifically notes that this figure "does not include the economic benefits and other benefits of the reduction in GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions and the associated slowing of climate change." In particular, CBO did not analyze the energy efficiency improvements and resulting savings in energy costs that will result from the ACES Act's investment of over $60 billion in the next ten years in energy efficiency and required improvements in energy efficiency. One outside group, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), has estimated that the benefits of the energy efficiency provisions in ACES, which generally were not included in the CBO estimate, will save consumers $22 billion in 2020 alone, with cumulative savings of $3,900 per household by 2030.

In addition, CBO found that households in the lowest quintile would see an average net benefit of $40 in 2020. And overall net costs would average 0.2 percent of household after tax income.

To Download a copy of the CBO Letter (PDF) please CLICK HERE.

Markey, Van Hollen, Welch Launch Bill to Tap NationaEUR(TM)s Oil Reserves

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

On 50th Straight Day of Rising Gas Prices, Prudent Action Needed to Alleviate Prices, Bring Balance to Strategic Petroleum Reserve

WASHINGTON (June 17, 2009) – On the 50th straight day of rising gas prices, Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced legislation that would modernize our nation’s oil reserves to help consumers at the pump and save taxpayers money. The national average for a gallon of gas rose to $2.67 today.

The “Enhanced Supply and Price Reduction Act of 2009,” or Enhanced SPR Act, directs the Secretary of Energy to sell 70,000,000 barrels of light sweet crude -- or about 10 percent of the total oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve -- and replace it with heavy crude oil. Swapping oil from the SPR has a proven record of lowering oil prices in the short term. In addition, swapping a small percentage of light crude oil in the reserve for heavier crude has been recommended by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to save taxpayers money. The legislation would also implement GAO’s recommendation to purchase a constant dollar value rather than constant volume of oil to fill the SPR in the future. Finally, the bill would authorize the Department of Energy to purchase refined petroleum product to better protect our national security.

“With gas prices rising again, we must look for ways to help consumers in a down economy. We must pass comprehensive clean energy legislation to reduce our dependence on oil in the long-term, but we can also take action to help American families and taxpayers in the near-term,” said Rep. Markey. “A comprehensive clean energy policy combined with aggressive use of our nation’s oil reserves creates an effective weapon against speculators and petro-dictators.”

“Across the country, Americans are continuing to cope with the effects of a struggling economy. In a bad case of déjà vu, gas prices are creeping back up in the direction of last-year’s record highs, making it harder and harder for families to make ends meet,” said Rep. Welch. “As we work to enact comprehensive energy and climate change legislation, Congress should take preemptive action now to provide relief at the gas pump. This legislation represents a common sense approach to reducing pressure on consumers while saving taxpayer dollars.”

“With gas prices once again drifting higher, modernizing our Strategic Petroleum Reserves is long overdue,” said Rep. Van Hollen. “This common-sense, good government initiative will enhance our nation’s energy security while saving consumers money at the pump. It should be passed and enacted into law without delay.”

The legislation directs the Secretary of Energy to create a plan within 30 days of enactment of the legislation to swap light sweet crude for heavy crude. The process must be “carried out in a manner so as to maximize the monetary value to the Federal Government” and must be completed within 5 years.

Similar legislation introduced by Rep. Markey and former-Rep. Nick Lampson received an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of support in the House last year. In addition, legislation directing DOE to stop buying oil to fill the SPR at high prices authored by Reps. Markey and Welch passed Congress in 2008 and was signed by then-President George W. Bush.

National Climate Science Report Makes Strong Case for Immediate Action on Global Warming

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Markey Announces Series of “Impacts Hearings”—First Hearing This Thursday on Agriculture and Forest Impacts

WASHINGTON (June 16, 2009) – A new report issued by America’s top climate scientists paints a stark picture of an America already beset by global warming, with more severe impacts to come if we do not cut the carbon pollution causing the problem.

In response to this sobering forecast and recognizing the need for quick action in Congress to move to a low-carbon, clean energy future, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming announced he would hold a series of “impact hearings” on the effects spelled out in the report. The first hearing will be held this Thursday on the impacts of a warming world on America’s agriculture and forests.

“This report reinforces the science, renews our dedication to forging a national solution, and relegates the last bastions of climate denial to the dustbin of history,” said Chairman Markey. “We waited for eight years to take any action on global warming, even as the evidence mounted. Our economy, our environment, and our planet can wait no longer.”

The report, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, written by the United States Global Change Research Program, is based on more than a dozen other national scientific synthesis reports, the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and others.

Key findings include:

Temperatures in the United States have already risen 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900. That increase is directly linked to human activities.
Heavy downpours in the last 50 years have increased 67 percent in the Northeast and 31 percent in the Midwest. Unsurprisingly, this time has been marked by record flooding in those regions.
The growing season now starts 2 weeks earlier.

Projections of future impacts include:

Global temperatures could increase 11 degrees Fahrenheit, with greater overall increases in the United States.
Increased heat, pests, water extremes, weeds and other impacts would have significant impacts on the agriculture and livestock sectors.
Sea-level rise would be 3-4 feet by 2100, completely flooding places like the Everglades and Cape Canaveral.

Chairman Markey announced today that the Select Committee will hold a series of hearings based on this new report to further explore the immediate and future impacts of global warming. The first hearing will occur this Thursday on agricultural impacts, and will continue this summer and fall, starting with the following topics:

Impacts on our nation’s transportation system and other infrastructure
Extreme weather events
Sea-level rise

“The American people and my colleagues in Congress need to examine this report so we can all understand the urgency our nation faces from the threat of global warming,” said Chairman Markey. “This Thursday, we will begin that process by looking at how our nation’s farmers and ranchers could be harmed by a warming world.”

Select Committee Hearing (Thurs 6/18) Global Warming's Impact on Agriculture and Forestry

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009

Contact: 202-225-4012

Select Committee to Explore Global Warming’s Growing Concerns

Hearing Probes Warming World’s Impact on Agriculture and Forestry

On June 18, 2009 the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing at 9:30 a.m. entitled: “Global Warming’s Growing Concerns: Impacts on Agriculture and Forestry.” The hearing will examine the impact global warming is currently having on the productivity and potential risks to these important industries.

Witnesses will discuss the present effects of climate change on agriculture and forestry such as increased drought, changes in precipitation, higher temperatures and increased activity of weeds and pests. The committee will also discuss how America’s agriculture and forestry sectors can help stave off the worst effects of global warming.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and global warming hearing-- “Global Warming’s Growing Concerns: Impacts on Agriculture and Forestry.”

WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 2009, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

WHO:
Jerry Hatfield, Supervisory Plant Physiologist, USDA
Heather Cooley, Senior Researcher, Pacific Institute
Tom Troxel, Director, Black Hills Forest Resource Association
Dr. Johannes Lehmann, Associate Professor of Soil Fertility Management/Soil Biogeochemistry, Cornell University
Ford B. West, President, The Fertilizer Institute

# # #

CBO: Clean Energy Bill Focuses Revenues to Public Benefit, will NOT Increase Budget Deficit

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (June 8, 2009) – Chairmen Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), co-authors of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act today said that a new analysis of the bill by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows the legislation is a fiscally-responsible clean energy plan.aEUR(th)

“The Waxman-Markey bill will get our planet out of the red, while helping to put our budget back in black,” said Rep. Markey. “Waxman-Markey is a win-win for America’s economy and environment.”

“This is a fiscally responsible approach,” said Rep. Waxman. “We are ensuring that the bill is deficit neutral, while protecting consumers from increases in their utilities bill, particularly low income consumers who are the most vulnerable.”

CBO’s analysis states that Waxman-Markey will raise $846 billion over the next decade in revenues from the new carbon market established by the bill, while not adding to America’s federal budget deficitaEUR(th). Waxman-Markey dedicates the revenues to assist consumers with the transition to a clean energy economy and for other public purposes, including energy efficiency and clean energy research and deployment. At least 50 percent of the allowances will go back to consumers -- with at least 35 percent going to protect against increases in electric, natural gas, home heating and propane bills; and another 15 percent going to assist low income consumers.aEUR(th)

Chairman Markey and Select Committee join Speaker Pelosi in China to advocate for clean energy future

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

From The Gavel, the Speaker's blog:

This week, Speaker Pelosi and a bipartisan congressional delegation have continued their travels in China–meeting with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, and Wu Bangguo, the Chairman of the National People’s Congress on Wednesday.

In separate meetings with each leader, the delegation had candid discussions on issues of concern including human rights, North Korea’s nuclear testing and missile launch, climate change and clean energy, intellectual property rights, and the global financial crisis.

Speaker Pelosi:

We had productive discussions about how the United States and China can cooperate on improving international security, growing our economies and protecting the environment. We urged the Chinese leaders to use their influence to help bring North Korea to the table for Six-Party Talks. On clean energy and climate change, both sides agreed to work together to confront the urgent challenge we face. Our delegation also emphasized the bipartisan concern in Congress on China’s poor record on human rights in China and Tibet.

The congressional delegation also participated in a two-hour working session with the Chinese National People’s Congress’ Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee. Rep. Ed Markey, who co-chaired the meeting with Chinese officials, said, “Our meetings this week reinforced the urgent need for the United States and China to take concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help preserve our planet. Today’s session furthered our commitment to work together.”

The delegation at the Great Hall of the People, National People’s Congress, Beijing:

The delegation also had the opportunity to visit an electric car factory in Tianjin, China and a high speed train–the Beijing to Tianjin line opened in August of 2008 and can go more than 200mph:

Today, the delegation traveled from Beijing to Hong Kong. Speaker Pelosi and the delegation met with labor activists Han Dongfang and Robin Munro of the China Labour Bulletin, a non-governmental organization that seeks to defend and promote workers’ rights in China. Speaker Pelosi described Han Dongfang and Robin Munro as “heroes for the Chinese people. They are fighting for a better future to establish the rule of law and rights for Chinese workers at the grassroots level.”

Meeting with Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, the delegation discussed how the United States and Hong Kong can work together to address the global financial crisis and climate change and the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China along with the prospects for universal suffrage in Hong Kong in the near future.

The delegation then traveled to the Hong Kong Legislative Council, known as LegCo, for a vibrant exchange with members on many issues, including elections in Hong Kong, climate change, local pollution, H1N1 influenza, and the 20th Anniversary next week of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Speaker Pelosi said:

The relationship between the United States and Hong Kong is based on our common values: freedom, entrepreneurship, and respect for the rule of law and human rights. The people of Hong Kong have bravely demonstrated their support for universal suffrage, consistent with the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.

View more photos from the trip on the Speaker’s Flickr page>>

Energy and Commerce Committee Passes Comprehensive Clean Energy Legislation

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, DC —Today the Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 2454, “The American Clean Energy and Security Act,” by a vote of 33 to 25. This legislation is a comprehensive approach to America’s energy policy that charts a new course towards a clean energy economy.

“Today the Committee took decisive and historic action to promote America’s energy security and to create millions of clean energy jobs that will drive our economic recovery and long-term growth,” said Chairman Waxman. “This bill, when enacted into law this year, will break our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation the world leader in clean energy jobs and technology, and cut global warming pollution. I am grateful to my colleagues who supported this legislation and to President Obama for his outstanding leadership on these critical issues.”

“With this plan, we will shape a new energy destiny for our country, where we innovate more and pollute less,” said Subcommittee Chairman Markey. “Today we have chosen bold action to preserve good paying jobs here in America and preserve our planet. In just eight weeks, Chairman Waxman and I, working with our entire committee, have moved us farther down the path toward energy independence than our country had moved in the past eight years.”

The American Clean Energy and Security Act will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America’s energy independence, and cut global warming pollution. To meet these goals, the legislation has four titles:

A clean energy title that promotes renewable sources of energy, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission.
An energy efficiency title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry.
A global warming title that places limits on emissions of heat-trapping pollutants. This legislation would cut global warming pollution by 17% compared to 2005 levels in 2020, by 42% in 2030, and by 83% in 2050. These are science-based targets and within the range agreed to by USCAP.
A title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.

The legislation has received wide support from electric utilities; energy companies; manufacturing, industry, and corporate companies; labor unions; and community and environmental organizations.

A copy of the bill is posted online at the Energy and Commerce Committee's website. An updated summary of the bill is also available.

Markey: Auto Standards Signal Full Speed Ahead to Energy Independence

Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2009) -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today hailed President Barack Obama's announcement that he will raise fuel economy standards to 35.5 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2016 with the support of automakers as a historic moment. Rep. Markey is co-author of the original 35 mpg standard adopted by Congress in 2007, a measure that required the maximum feasible fuel economy standards be set each year.

Rep. Markey has long been an outspoken advocate of increasing fuel economy standards and has long believed that the use of realistic future gas prices and technology cost assumptions would support a cost-effective standard of more than 35 miles per gallon by 2016. Markey has worked with then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Rep. Todd Platts (R-Pa.) to urge that the 2007 energy law be faithfully implemented by the Department of Transportation (see links below). Rep. Markey also co-authored legislation in the 110th Congress requiring that realistic future gasoline prices be used when setting fuel economy standards.

“With this historic announcement, President Obama is firing on all cylinders by getting the automakers to simultaneously agree to higher fuel economy standards and drop their litigation against California,” said Rep. Markey. “As someone who has pushed for stronger fuel economy standards for decades, the difference between then and now is like being stuck in stop-and-go traffic and hitting every green light on your way home.”

“Combining today’s announcement with a comprehensive clean energy plan being considered by Congress this week will deliver a one-two punch against America’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”

The original Waxman-Markey energy bill, which is expected to pass out of committee this week, contained language that would have created a federal fuel economy program by harmonizing federal standards with California’s stronger rules. The language was removed when Chairmen Waxman and Markey learned of President Obama's expected announcement.

“Instead of fighting an uphill battle to increase fuel economy, as Congress did under the Bush administration, we are now working hand-in-driving-glove with the Obama team," said Rep. Markey. “For years, the auto industry claimed it would be impossible for them to implement the fuel efficiency standards that they have just agreed to. Their change of heart reflects not only how much has changed in the auto industry, but how much has changed in Washington.”

March 23, 2009 Letter from Markey and Colleagues urging President Obama to adopt the maximum feasible fuel economy standard.

June 26, 2008 Letter from Markey and Colleagues urging Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to adopt the maximum feasible fuel economy standard.

June 17, 2008 Letter from Markey and Emanuel urging President Bush to adopt the maximum feasible fuel economy standard.

Waxman, Markey Introduce aEURoeH.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security ActaEUR?

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

UPDATE: May 18, 2009 - Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Edward J. Markey introduced an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the American Clean Energy and Security Act. It is available through the Energy and Commerce Committee website.

Chairman Henry A. Waxman and Subcommittee Chairman Edward J. Markey introduced “H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy and Security Act” on May 15, 2009. The Energy and Commerce Committee will begin markup of the bill on Monday, May 18, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., and will complete consideration before the Memorial Day recess.

“The legislation will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, promote America’s energy independence and security, and cut global warming pollution,” said Chairman Waxman. “In support of these goals, this legislation ensures that consumers and industries in all regions of the country are protected. I look forward to working with all members of the Committee to approve this legislation to make America the world leader in new clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.”

“This bill marks the dawn of the clean energy age,” said Subcommittee Chairman Markey. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revive our economy and create millions of good-paying clean energy jobs. After months of hearings and discussions with my colleagues, I am pleased that we have produced a bill that has widespread support from all regions of the country.”

Full Text of H.R. 2454, "The American Clean Energy and Security Act"

A document summarazing how the emissions allowances will be allocated is also available here.

55% directly to consumer protection measures

30% to protect consumers from energy rate increases using existing regulated electricity distribution centers and efficiency measures
15% direct protection to low/middle income consumers
10% for natural gas and heating oil consumer protection

35% to grow and protect American jobs and invest in a clean energy future for all communities

17% to defend US jobs from foreign polluters (steel, glass, paper and refineries)
10% to renewable and efficiency programs in the states
3% to build clean electric and other advanced, fuel efficient vehicles
2-5% to CCS technology, ensuring coal companies must develop new technology without passing costs to consumers
2% for domestic adaptation to protect people from the impacts of pollution and climate change
1% to Research & Development for clean energy technologies of the future

**The remainder will go to other programs, like clean energy job training, international measures, funds to keep the program revenue-neutral, and other initiatives.

A high resolution version of this chart is also available. Please note, it may take some time to load.

Markey Statement on 'Cash for Clunkers' Agreement

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee issued the following statement after members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee reached an agreement on a fleet modernization, or “cash-for-clunkers,” proposal:

“This deal is a triple play for our country,” said Rep. Markey. “Consumers can trade in their old gas-guzzlers for a new, more efficient vehicle, we can reduce our dangerous dependence on imported oil, and help the struggling American auto industry get back on its feet. This deal is about saving American consumers money both at the pump and at the dealership.”

“As with most compromises, this one took a great deal of work and time, and I salute my Colleagues – Ms. Sutton, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Stupak, Mr. Dingell, and of course Chairman Waxman, for all their leadership. I also want to thank the President for his support and White House assistance as we worked through the details.”

“This deal also demonstrates how Representatives from both coasts and the Rust Belt can reach agreement on difficult issues, and I expect more of the same as we continue to negotiate comprehensive energy and climate legislation.”

Below is a fact sheet on the details of the agreement:

“Cash for Clunkers” Agreement

Consumers may trade in their old, gas-guzzling vehicles and receive vouchers worth up to $4,500 to help pay for new, more fuel efficient cars and trucks. The program will be authorized for up to one year and provide for approximately one million new car or truck purchases. The agreement divides these new cars and trucks into four categories. All mpg below relate to the values displayed on new vehicle window stickers.

Passenger Cars: The old vehicle must get less than 18 mpg. New passenger cars with mileage of at least 22 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new car is at least 4 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new car is at least 10 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $4,500.

Small Trucks (and SUVs): The old vehicle must get less than 18 mpg. New small trucks or SUVs with mileage of at least 18 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new truck or SUV is at least 2 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new truck or SUV is at least 5 mpg higher than the old vehicle, the voucher will be worth $4,500.

Large Light-Duty Trucks: The old vehicle must get less than 18 mpg. New large trucks (pick-ups and vans weighing between 6,000 and 8,500 pounds) with mileage of at least 15 mpg are eligible for vouchers. If the mileage of the new truck is at least 1 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $3,500. If the mileage of the new truck is at least 2 mpg higher than the old truck, the voucher will be worth $4,500.

Work Trucks: Under the agreement, consumers can trade in a pre-2002 work truck (defined as a pick-up truck or cargo van weighing from 8,500-10,000 pounds) and receive a voucher worth $3,500 for a new work truck in the same or smaller weight class. There will be a finite number of these vouchers based on this vehicle class’s market share. There are no EPA mileage measures for these trucks; however, because newer models are cleaner than older models, the age requirement ensures that the trade will improve environmental quality. Consumers can also “trade down,” receiving a $3,500 voucher for trading in an older work truck and purchasing a pick-up or van weighing between 6,000-8,500 lbs.

Summary of Cash for Clunkers Agreement
	Passenger Car	Small Truck	Large Light-Duty Truck (6,000 – 8,500 pounds)	Work Truck(8,500 – 10,000 pounds)
Minimum Fuel Economy for New Vehicle	22 mpg (EPA combined)	18 mpg (EPA combined)	15 mpg(EPA combined)
$3,500 Voucher	Mileage improvement of at least 4 mpg	Mileage improvement of at least 2 mpg	Mileage improvement of at least 1 mpg, or involving trade-in of a Work Truck	Trade-in must be at least pre-2001
$4,500 Voucher	Mileage improvement of at least 10 mpg	Mileage improvement of at least 5 mpg	Mileage improvement of at least 2 mpg

Markey: Under Obama Admin., ESA Scientists No Longer Wandering in Regulatory Wilderness

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (April 28, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who was first to call for Congressional review of Bush administration Endangered Species Act rule changes and held a hearing on the midnight rule changes, praised President Obama and his administration today for reversing one of the last industry giveaways of the Bush administration. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today that they will restore scientific review as the driver in determining the threat to species from government or private actions.

“After the previous administration relegated our scientists to the proverbial regulatory wilderness, the Obama administration is today ensuring that scientists are no longer an endangered species in our government,” said Rep. Markey, whose Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing on this and other Bush midnight rules the same day the now-cancelled rule was issued. “These scientists objectively assess the threat to animals in danger, and it is critical that the Obama administration has brought them back into the discussion.”

More information from the Bush rules hearing can be found on the Select Committee website:.

The House included language passed in February in the omnibus spending bill that gave 60 days for the Obama administration to withdraw or reissue the ESA rule.

Rep. Markey was first to propose using Congressional Review Act authority to overturn this and other harmful executive rules in November of last year. Rep. Markey highlighted this ESA rule as one of the more egregious examples of poor rulemaking.

Rep. Markey also challenged the previous Interior Department Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne on the Bush administration’s budget cuts to the endangered species program. For a video of the exchange, CLICK HERE.

Chairmen Waxman and Markey Announce Hearings on aEURoeThe American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009aEUR?

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, DC — Today Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee announced that the Energy and Commerce Committee will hold four days of legislative hearings on the discussion draft of “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.”

The hearings will examine the views of the Administration and a broad range of stakeholders on the discussion draft. The schedule for this week follows:

Note: This schedule updated as of 7:30 PM Thursday, April 23 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009: Day 1

Opening Statements
WHEN: 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Wednesday, April 22, 2009: Day 2

WHEN: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Panel 1: Administration Views on “The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009” Legislation

The Honorable Lisa Jackson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Honorable Steven Chu, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation

Panel 2: “United States Climate Action Partnership Views on the ACES Discussion Draft”

Mr. Charles Holliday, Jr., Chairman, DuPont
Mr. Red Cavaney, Senior Vice President for Government & Public Affairs, ConocoPhillips
Mr. Jim Rogers, Chairman, President and CEO, Duke Energy Corp.
Dr. Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council
Ms. Meg McDonald, Director, Global Issues, Alcoa Inc.
Mr. David Crane, President and CEO, NRG Energy, Inc.

Panel 3: “Additional Views on the ACES Discussion Draft"

Mr. Paul N. Cicio, President, Industrial Energy Consumers of America
Myron Ebell, Director, Energy and Global Warming Policy, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Mr. David Kreutzer, Senior Policy Analyst in Energy Economics and Climate Change, The Heritage Foundation
Dr. Steven Hayward, F.K Weyerhaeuser Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Mr. John Fetterman, Mayor, Braddock, Pennsylvania
Mr. Kevin Knobloch, President, Union of Concerned Scientists
Dr. Nathaniel Keohane, Director of Economic Policy and Analysis, Environmental Defense Fund

Panel 4: “Green Jobs and Economic Benefits”

Ms. Denise Bode, CEO, American Wind Energy Association
Ms. Kate Gordon, Co-Director, Apollo Alliance
Mr. David Manning, Vice President, External Affairs, National Grid
Mr. Frank Ackerman, Senior Economist, Stockholm Environment Institute- US Center, Tufts University
Mr. David Foster, Executive Director, Blue Green Alliance

Thursday, April 23, 2009: Day 3

WHEN: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Panel 1: “Allocation Policies to Assist and Benefit Consumers”

Mr. Jeff Sterba, Chairman and CEO, PMN Resources, Inc. (on Behalf of the Edison Electric Institute)
Mr. Glenn English, CEO, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Mr. Mark Crisson, President and CEO, American Public Power Association
Mr. John W. Somerhalder II, Chairman, CEO and President, AGL Resources (On behalf of the American Gas Association)
Mr. Richard Morgan, Commissioner, District of Columbia Public Service Commission (On behalf of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners)
Mr. Richard Cowart, Director, Regulatory Assistance Project
Mr. Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
Dr. Robert Michaels, Professor of Economics, California State University
Mr. Darryl Bassett, Empower Consumers

Panel 2: “Ensuring U.S. Competitiveness and International Participation”

Mr. Rich Wells, Vice President for Energy, The Dow Chemical Company
Mr. Tom Conway, International Vice President, United Steel Workers
Mr. Jack McMackin, Principal, Williams and Jensen, LLC (On behalf of the Energy Intensive Manufacturers Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Regulation)
Dr. Trevor Houser, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
Mr. Eliot Diringer, Vice President for International Strategies, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Pastor Doug Smith, Virginia Interfaith Society for Public Policy
Mr. Lee Lane, Resident Fellow and Codirector of the AEI Geoengineering Project, American Enterprise Institute

Panel 3: “Low Carbon Electricity: Carbon Capture and Storage, Renewables and Grid Modernization”

Dr. Howard Gruenspect, Acting Administrator, United States Energy Information Agency
Ms. Dian M. Grueneich, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Mr. Dan Reicher, Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiatives, Google, Inc.
Mr. Jim Robo, President and Chief Operating Officer, FPL Group
Mr. David Hawkins, Director of Climate Programs, Natural Resources Defense Council
Dr. Gregory Kunkel, Vice President for Environmental Affairs, Tenaska, Inc.
Mr. Jonathan Briggs, Regional Director of the Americas, Hydrogen Energy International
Mr. Eugene Trisko (On Behalf of the United Mine Workers of America)
Mr. James Kerr, Partner, McGuire Woods LLP, former Commissioner, North Carolina Public Utilities Commission
Dr. Jay Apt, Executive Director, Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center, Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

Friday, April 24, 2009: Day 4

WHEN: 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24
WHERE: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

Panel 1: Vice President Al Gore and Senator John Warner: Bipartisan Leaders’ Views on the ACES Legislation

The Honorable Albert Gore Jr., former Vice President of the United States
The Honorable John Warner, former United States Senator

Panel 2: Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich

The Honorable Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives

Panel 3: Energy Efficiency, Transportation, Building Appliances, and Utilities

Mr. Ian Bowles, Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Mr. David Gardiner, President, David Gardiner & Associates, LLC (On behalf of the Energy Future Coalition)
Mr. Jeff Genzer, Counsel, National Association of State Energy Officials
Mr. Andrew Delaski, Executive Director, Appliance Standards Awareness Project
Mr. Dave McCurdy, President and CEO, Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers
Mr. Alan Reuther, Legislative Director, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
Dr. Dan Sperling, Director, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California Davis
Mr. David Friedman, Research Director, Clean Vehicles Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Charles T. Drevna, President, National Petrochemical and Refiners Association
National Association of Homebuilders

Panel 4: “Carbon Market Assurance, State Roles, Clean Air Act and Adaptation”

Ms. Tia Nelson, Executive Secretary, Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, State of Wisconsin
Mr. Bill Becker, Executive Director, National Association of Clean Air Agencies
Mr. Carl Royal, Counsel, Schiff Hardin LLP, formerly Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Chicago Mercantile Exchange
Mr. Jon Anda, Executive-in-Residence, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Visiting Fellow Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solution
Mr. David Doniger, Policy Director, Climate Center, Natural Resources Defense Council
Ms. Patricia Mulroy, General Manager Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority
Dr. Anne Smith, Vice President, Practice Leader of Climate and Sustainability, CRA International
William L. Kovacs, Vice President, Environment, Technology and Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

** Witness list is subject to change
The hearings will be webcast at http://energycommerce.house.gov.

Earth Day Message in a Bottle: Increasing Recycling Will Decrease Pollution and Energy Use

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Markey’s National Bottle Bill Would Cut Heat-Trapping Emissions, Energy Needs

WASHINGTON (April 22, 2009) – Coinciding with the 39th celebration of Earth Day, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today re-introduced the Bottle Recycling Climate Protection Act, which would decrease global warming pollution and cut down on energy use by encouraging large-scale recycling of cans, metal, plastic water bottles and other beverage containers throughout America. Rep. Markey re-introduced the legislation with Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.).

“Earth Day is an important reminder that it is time for America to take action to reduce its global warming pollution and dependence on foreign energy. A national bottle bill can help America quench its thirst for imported oil. We can still have carbon dioxide in our fizzy drinks, while cutting down on heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said Rep. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee.

The bill builds on the success of existing state programs and would establish a national 5 cent deposit on beverage containers, including plastic water bottles and other containers that have become more prevalent in recent years after many state programs were established. These bottles and other containers pour into landfills and use far more energy to produce the raw materials. In 2006, more than half of the 200 billion beverage containers that could have been recycled in the United States were incinerated or littered.

“A national bottle recycling program would have profound economic benefits from energy savings for trade affected industries, like aluminum and glass. The energy use and cost of manufacturing an aluminum can from virgin materials is far greater than the cost of using recycled materials. In fact, recycling aluminum requires 95 percent less energy than making it from scratch,” said Rep. Markey.

Currently, 11 states have deposit programs that encourage consumers to return containers to claim the refund on the deposit. In the states that have passed bottle bills, recycling rates are twice that of states without deposit laws. Rep. Markey’s national bottle bill recognizes the leadership of the states on this issue, and exempts states that have high recycling rates or existing state legislation from the national standard for 3 years, or as long as they maintain high recycling rates.

In the last Congress, Rep. Markey’s national bottle bill gained the support from leading environmental and recycling organizations, including the Container Recycling Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Public Interest Research Group when it was first introduced as the Bottle Recycling Climate Protection Act of 2007 (H. R. 4238).

EPA Analysis: Waxman-Markey Moves America to Clean Energy Economy

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Legislation Dramatically Increases Clean Energy While Reducing Overall Demand

WASHINGTON (April 21, 2009) – A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency preliminary analysis of the draft comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation put forward by Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) says that the bill would succeed in “moving the U.S. to a clean energy economy.” The analysis also finds that the cap on global warming emissions would accelerate renewable energy deployment by 150 percent over the next two decades, and that energy efficiency measures will significantly decrease energy demand.

The EPA analysis, which was requested by Reps. Waxman and Markey, focused mainly on the global warming pollution cap, and because of limitations on time did not take into account many of the cost-saving and technology-driving renewable energy, energy efficiency and other provisions in the bill.

"This analysis confirms that the Waxman-Markey legislation will create a clean energy economy that will continue economic growth and cut harmful pollution," said Rep. Markey, who chairs key energy and climate panels in the House. "When you combine this analysis with cost-saving measures from updated energy efficiency measures and weatherization, the savings will pile up for consumers."

Below are some of the other findings from the analysis, which can be found on the EPA website here:

The nation’s gross domestic product grows robustly - from $15-16 Trillion in 2015 to $22-23 Trillion in 2030 - while deploying clean energy technology and reducing global warming pollution.
Carbon capture and sequestration technology will be deployed for coal plants by 2015, to both new and existing plants.
Major investments in energy efficiency means that energy consumption levels will be reduced such that levels that might have been reached by 2015 are not reached until the middle of the century.
Consumption growth -- a measure of a household’s purchasing potential -- would grow by up to 10 percent from 2010-2015, 19 percent by 2020, and 40 percent by 2030.
The pollution permit price would be significantly lower than previous Senate proposals, reducing costs to consumers and industry.

Recent studies, which use government models, found that adding a renewable electricity standard and energy efficiency programs would save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars. For example, a study released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists uses Department of Energy models to look at a comprehensive program similar to Waxman-Markey, and finds that an average American household would receive a net savings of $900 on its energy bill.

And while the analysis did include some of the impacts on emissions by the 2007 energy bill, it did not include the recent recovery package, which a Department of Energy study on Friday said would reduce household energy expenditures 4.5 percent by 2028.

DOE Report: Recovery Package Clean Energy Provisions Are Working

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its updated 2009 Energy Outlook Report last Friday to assess the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), passed by Congress in January, on the U.S. energy outlook. The Recovery Act’s energy-specific provisions aim to create more than 500,000 jobs, by accelerating deployment of smart grid technology, providing energy efficiency funds for the nation’s schools, offering support for the nation’s governors and mayors to tackle their energy challenges, and establishing a new loan guarantee program to keep our transition to renewable energy on track during the economic crisis.

The EIA report shows that the recovery bill’s clean energy provisions are working. As Congress begins consideration of the Waxman-Markey clean energy and climate bill this week, the EIA report signals that America’s economy should be fueled by clean energy that will grow jobs, decrease energy costs and oil dependence, and reduce heat-trapping pollution.

The report’s key conclusions on the impact of ARRA’s energy-specific provisions versus business as usual are below:

INCREASES IN RENEWABLES: ARRA’s clean energy tax credits and loan guarantee program will result in “a significant expansion in the use of renewable fuels for electricity generation, particularly in the near-term.”

WIND: The recovery package doubles the amount of wind energy built by 2012 with a 67 percent overall increase by 2030
GEOTHERMAL: 16 percent increase in installed geothermal capacity by 2013
BIOMASS: 18 percent increase in biomass installed capacity by 2030
PHOTOVOLTAIC: 15 percent increase in commercial sector photovoltaic capacity by 2011

DECREASES IN CONSUMER PRICES: ARRA weatherization and efficiency improvements will permanently reduce consumer consumption and lower household energy bills

3.4 percent drop in household heating and cooling consumption by 2030
4.5 percent drop in household energy expenditures by 2028
3 percent drop in commercial fuel oil consumption by 2030

REDUCES GLOBAL WARMING EMISSIONS: ARRA’s provisions promoting clean energy, greater efficiency and lower energy consumption will reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

1.3 percent reduction in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2013, the equivalent of the emissions from nearly 168,000 barrels of oil.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, expressed optimism upon reading the EIA report.

“The EIA report supports the movement in Congress to pass clean energy legislation to reduce our dependence on oil, save consumers money, and create clean energy jobs,” said Rep. Markey. “If we want a lasting and sustainable economic recovery, we must pass comprehensive clean energy legislation.”

The hearing schedule is available here.

Markey: EPA Global Warming Finding Says Planet is in Danger, Now Up to Congress to Finalize Clean Energy Cure

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Announces Roster for Legislative Hearings Next Week, Including EPA Administrator and Other Cabinet Officials

WASHINGTON (April 17, 2009) – Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced today that her agency has concluded that global warming emissions pose a threat to public health and welfare. The proposed finding, issued in response to the landmark 2007 Supreme Court case Massachusetts v. EPA, now puts the focus on the congressional process to create a clean energy solution to global warming. To that end, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee announced a hearing schedule for next week.

“Today, the EPA concluded that our health and our planet are in danger. Now it is time for Congress to create a clean energy cure,” said Rep. Markey. “Taking action on clean energy and global warming has a national security imperative, an economic imperative to create jobs, and now a clear legal and public health imperative.”

While today’s actions mean that EPA can now proceed to develop rules to limit global warming emissions, President Barack Obama and his top climate and energy adviser, Carol Browner, have both stated that Congressional action would be preferable to create a comprehensive energy and global warming package. Chairmen Markey and Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) released their draft legislative proposal two weeks ago, with the aim of reporting comprehensive legislation out of the committee in the coming weeks.

In anticipation of passing comprehensive clean energy legislation, Chairman Markey today announced the hearings schedule for next week along with Chairman Waxman. The hearings will begin on Wednesday with Administrator Jackson, joined by the Secretary of the Department of Energy, Stephen Chu, and Ray LaHood, Secretary of the Department of Transportation. There will be nine panels in total, including nearly 80 witnesses.

The EPA also issued a second finding today, saying that heat-trapping emissions from motor vehicles cause or contribute to the global warming danger. They cited the science on global warming as “compelling and overwhelming.” Today’s finding is in proposed form, and will be open for 60 days of comment and public hearings.

Under the Bush administration, an endangerment similar finding was nearly issued, but was found to have been blocked. An investigative report issued in the Summer of 2008 by Chairman Markey and his Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming found that members of government at the highest levels, including the office of President George W. Bush’s Chief of Staff and numerous heads of Cabinet departments, had decided to issue an endangerment finding, but reversed their decision in the face of strong opposition from ExxonMobil and others within the oil industry, as well as from at least one senior adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney.

More information on that investigation can be found here.

Markey: New Obama Offshore Renewable Rules Will Unleash aEURoeClean Energy WaveaEUR?

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (April 22, 2009) – New offshore renewable energy rules finalized today by President Barack Obama and Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar makes the clean energy goals set forward in Congressional legislation even more attainable. The rules, which stalled under the Bush administration, will set a framework to grant leases, easements, and rights-of-way for offshore renewable energy development.

“These rules will unleash a wave of American clean energy development,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who is co-author of energy legislation that includes strong targets for renewable energy. “Looking beyond our shores, to the winds, tides and waves for discoveries should not be the solitary providence of explorers, but for clean energy entrepreneurs who will chart the course to America’s energy independence.”

Recently Rep. Markey and Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) introduced clean energy and global warming legislation that includes a renewable electricity standard calling for 25 percent of America’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2025. Establishing clear rules for offshore renewable energy development will allow enormous resources to be used. The shores off New England, for example, could supply 185,000 megawatts of electricity, more than 6 times the peak demand for the region and roughly the equivalent of nearly 400 average coal plants.

Top Obama Advisers, Energy Experts to Join Rep. Ed Markey at MIT Forum

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Energy Luminaries Browner, Holdren, Yergin, Moniz and Others to Discuss Massachusetts’ Role in Developing Clean Energy Jobs, Technology, Global Warming Policies

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Malden) will host President Obama’s top climate, energy and science advisers along with other energy experts at a forum at MIT on Monday, April 13 to discuss the future of clean energy in national policy and in the Massachusetts economy. As leaders in Washington strive to stabilize and grow our economy, clean energy solutions are showing the most promise. World-renowned energy experts will discuss how decisions made in Washington relate to the Massachusetts economy, our national security, and the threat of global warming.

Last week, Rep. Markey released draft legislation that will be the main congressional vehicle to push clean energy technologies and create millions of new jobs. Massachusetts is already seeing the benefits of clean energy jobs from the economic recovery package. The recovery package is expected to create or save nearly 80,000 jobs in the Bay State over the next two years alone.

WHAT:
Energy forum at MIT -- “Clean Power: Building a New Clean Energy Economy.” Sponsored by MIT in cooperation with Rep. Markey.

WHO:
Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Malden), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and Energy and Environment Subcommittee
Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change
John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
Ernest J. Moniz, Professor of Physics and Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor, MIT
Dr. Susan Hockfield, President, MIT
Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates
Massachusetts clean energy CEOs and others

WHERE:
Wong Auditorium, Tang Center, Building E51, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

WHEN:
Forum 10:00 AM-12:30 PM

The forum will be webcast, CLICK HERE to view.

Republican Energy and Climate Distortions "Wrong in so many ways"

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0500

An Analysis by the Majority Staff of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

For a PDF version of the Committee's analysis, please CLICK HERE.

Now that Chairmen Edward J. Markey and Henry Waxman have released their American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) to create millions of clean energy jobs that can’t be shipped overseas and end our dependence on foreign oil, the inevitable attacks from entrenched special interests and obstructionist Republicans have started. And just as they did in last year’s fight over energy policy--when they made countless false statements, like no oil was spilled during Hurricane Katrina--they are now spreading misinformation about clean energy legislation.

The Republican campaign to kill clean energy legislation uses the names of respected organizations like the Congressional Budget Office and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then distorts their trusted analyses. It takes the gloom and doom predictions from industry-hired consultants like Charles River Associates to prey on fears of hard-working Americans over the future of our economy.

And while the Republicans are offering no real alternatives, this energy misinformation campaign assumes that no actual benefits will result from moving to a clean, energy efficient future or from reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. It assumes American ingenuity and technological innovation are dead. It depends on recycling all the stale arguments and policies that have led to America’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil and harmed our national security.

The ACES Act includes cost-saving energy efficiency technologies, more electric vehicles to cut oil use, and a renewable electricity standard that will save consumers nearly $100 billion dollars by reducing energy prices. The additional economic benefits from more clean energy jobs that can’t be shipped overseas, health protections from reduced pollution, and other factors, will make clean energy an American economic engine for decades to come.

Here are the major Republican and industry-peddled distortions, and the facts:

Distortion #1—Clean energy and climate legislation will cost $1,300 per family.

FACT: The Republican “experts” who did this math should get an F for “False.” This number assumes that the revenues from a cap on global warming pollution would never make it back into the economy, which is the exact opposite of the program. Newt Gingrich and industry henchmen are taking CBO estimates of the value of the carbon market and applying the total value as a direct cost on consumers.

This analysis ignores the benefits of a clean energy future, as if the value and gains from the program disappear into thin air. In the real world, it will be refunded to consumers, invested in efficiency projects that lower energy bills and in energy technologies that will drive economic growth and job creation over the next century.

Distortion #2: Democratic proposals would cost families up to $3,100 per year.

FACT: More fuzzy math from Republicans, this time by distorting a study by MIT. Republican leaders like Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are attacking clean energy and climate legislation, claiming that it would “cost every American family up to $3,100 per year in higher energy prices” By drawing on an MIT study.

The author of the MIT study has said this figure is “wrong in so many ways, it’s hard to begin,” and sent a sharply-worded letter to Rep. Boehner pointing out the inaccuracies in his statements about the report. The letter can be found by clicking here.

House Republicans took the total revenues from a hypothetical global warming pollution system analyzed by MIT and crudely divided it by the number of households in America, getting approximately $3,100 per family. What they omitted is that MIT had determined the costs on a typical family and the burden would only be less than 1/40th than what Boehner and others claim, and that rise would not occur until 2015.

Mr. Reilly also notes in the letter that: “Many of the proposals currently being considered by Congress and as proposed by the Administration have been designed to offset the energy cost impacts on middle and lower income households and so it is simplistic and misleading to only look at the impact on energy prices of these proposals as a measure of their impact on the average household.”

Rep. Boehner and others don’t mention that revenues from a carbon pollution control program could be returned to consumers, or used to invest in clean energy jobs and cost-saving energy efficient technology. So it focuses on all the costs and ignores the benefits. It’s just more of the same, tired arguments from a party out of ideas on energy policy.

Distortion #3—There are great costs to transitioning to a low-carbon economy, but no benefits.

FACT: Oscar Wilde once said that cynics “know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.” In a real cost-benefit analysis, you look at both sides of the equation. Industry-friendly analysis like that done by Charles River Associates, commissioned by the Edison Electric Institute, grossly overstate the cost of climate protection on things like allowance price, electricity rates, and GDP (they project GDP impacts for 2015 that are 300 to 400 percent higher than those found by other models). Further, this industry analysis ignores the massive costs of and climate inaction, which the Stern Review estimates will reach at least 5 percent of global GDP annually. Industry analysis also ignores the benefits of building up a robust domestic renewable energy industry, which the ACES Act would dramatically accelerate. Revenue growth in the wind, solar, and biofuel sectors alone was 53 percent last year.

Here are the benefits from clean energy provisions in the American Clean Energy and Security Act:

--According to an analysis using Department of Energy models, increasing renewable energy to 25 percent by 2025 would save Americans nearly $100 billion in electricity costs, stretching across all regions of the country.
--Increasing energy efficiency nationwide to fifteen percent by 2020 will save American families and businesses nearly $170 billion on electricity bills, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
--Investing in renewable energy creates more than twice as many jobs per unit of energy and per dollar invested than traditional fossil fuel-based technologies.

Distortion #4—The technology isn’t ready for us to move to a clean energy economy.

FACT: This is Republican pessimism that runs directly counter to American optimism, ingenuity and our proven ability to meet great challenges. History has demonstrated over and over again that if policy creates the right ground rules, entrepreneurs and American businesses find solutions that were previously unimaginable.

If, in 1962, Republicans and their industry friends had a similar response to President Kennedy’s call to put a man on the moon, they would have come back and said we lack the trees to build a ladder that tall.

Here are two examples of industry nay-saying on technology:

--During the 1990 debate on the Acid Rain Program, manufacturers warned that the health benefits of the Program “are not clearly supported by science, and their adoption could deal a crushing economic blow to U.S. business.” Result: OMB finds “the Acid Rain Program accounted for the largest quantified human health benefits—over $70 billion annually—of any major federal regulatory program implemented in the last 10 years, with benefits exceeding costs by more than 40:1.”

--In 1995, as chemical manufacturers opposed the phase out of ozone-depleting chemicals, DuPont warned the costs in the U.S. would exceed $135 billion and “entire industries would fold.” Result: actual costs were almost one hundred times less, and DuPont has made millions selling substitutes for phased-out chemicals.

The reality is, this is a technological race we cannot lose. Right now, only about one out of every four top clean energy companies are from the United States. Germany’s second largest export, after cars, is wind turbines, and they also deploy nearly half of the world’s solar panels. We are losing the race to build the next generation of hybrid batteries to Korea and China, and we cannot trade a reliance on Middle East oil for East Asian batteries.

Chairmen Waxman, Markey Release Discussion Draft of New Clean Energy Legislation

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, DC — Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee today released a draft of clean energy legislation that will create jobs, help end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and combat global warming. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) is a comprehensive approach to America’s energy policy that charts a new course towards a clean energy economy.

“This legislation will create millions of clean energy jobs, put America on the path to energy independence, and cut global warming pollution.” said Chairman Waxman. “Our goal is to strengthen our economy by making America the world leader in new clean energy and energy efficiency technologies.”

“This legislation will create clean energy jobs that can’t be shipped overseas, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and make America the global leader in energy technology. We will create jobs by the millions, save money by the billions, and unleash energy investment by the trillions,” said Chairman Markey, who held many hearings on the major issues in the bill. “Chairman Waxman and I will work with our colleagues to ensure that we are protecting American consumers and that our clean energy future helps all parts of the country.”

A clean energy title that promotes renewable sources of energy, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, low-carbon fuels, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission;
An energy efficiency title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry;
A global warming title that places limits on emissions of heat-trapping pollutants; and
A transitioning title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will complete consideration of the legislation by Memorial Day. The preliminary schedule follows:

Week of April 20: Energy and Environment Subcommittee Hearings
Week of April 27: Energy and Environment Subcommittee Markup Period Begins
Week of May 11: Full Energy and Commerce Committee Markup Period Begins

For the discussion draft summary, please CLICK HERE.
For the full text of the discussion draft, please CLICK HERE.

What Others Are Saying About Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee today released a draft of clean energy legislation that will create jobs, help end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and combat global warming. Political, business and environmental leaders have issued the following statements in strong support of the discussion draft:

“The discussion draft of comprehensive clean energy legislation released this morning by Chairmen Waxman and Markey is a strong starting point….for landmark legislation to launch a clean energy economy that will build prosperity and balance the needs of the American people and industry.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

“USCAP hails the discussion draft released by Chairmen Waxman and Markey as a strong starting point for enacting legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
U.S. Climate Action Partnership
Members include - BP America - Caterpillar - Chrysler - ConocoPhillips - Dow - Duke Energy - Exelon - Ford - GE - GM - Johnson & Johnson - NRG Energy - PG&E - Shell

“Chairman Waxman and Chairman Markey have outlined a bold blueprint for dealing with America’s energy crisis.”
Florida Power & Light Company
Lew Hay, Chairman and CEO

“Tackling climate change through a coordinated energy policy is absolutely vital, and the time to act is now. The Waxman-Markey announcement issued today is a positive and welcome step forward to meeting that challenge.”
National Grid U.S.
Tom King, President

“I am pleased to see Congress finally taking action today to drive our nation toward cleaner energy, improved national security, enhanced economic growth and reduced global warming pollution. This legislation takes a page from California by adopting many of the innovative strategies we have pioneered like our Low Carbon Fuel Standard and energy efficiency standards, and now it’s time for our nation to take a leadership role.”
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-California)

"This is a pivotal moment for our transition to the clean energy economy. I applaud Chairman Waxman and especially our own Chairman Markey for responding forcefully to President Obama's call for Congressional action on energy and climate change." aEUR(th)aEUR(th)
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D-Massachusetts)

"We are pleased that the Waxman-Markey draft bill recognizes the need to stop carbon leakage and ensure the competitiveness of our domestic industries."
Alliance for American Manufacturing
Scott Paul, Executive Director

“With the release of this discussion draft, Chairmen Waxman and Markey have taken the next critical step toward passing a comprehensive clean energy and global warming bill this year….LCV applauds these two forward-thinking legislators for their vision.”
League of Conservation Voters
Gene Karpinski, President

“Following the bold vision of President Obama, Chairmen Waxman and Markey are setting the stage for the strong action on energy and climate we need to move America in new direction…. This draft takes bold steps forward to create a clean energy economy, with millions of jobs that will repower our country and protect our planet.”
Natural Resources Defense Council
Frances Beinecke, President

"The Waxman-Markey draft bill is a strong start and is testament to their decades of leadership on clean energy and other environmental issues.”
Sierra Club
Carl Pope, Executive Director

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act, released today in draft form by Chairmen Waxman and Markey, is a major first step toward a strong cap and trade bill that will cut emissions, jumpstart a new clean energy economy, and strengthen the ability of the Obama administration to negotiate a fair and effective global climate deal this December in Copenhagen.”
World Wildlife Federation
Dr. Richard H. Moss, Vice President for Climate Change

“Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) deserve high praise for introducing legislation that could break the congressional stalemate that has prevented this nation from tackling the potentially catastrophic challenge posed by global warming.”
Wilderness Society
David Moulton, Climate Policy Director

"This improves the prospects for a new global agreement at the Copenhagen summit this December."
Union of Concerned Scientists
Alden Myer, Policy Director

For more information on the discussion draft, including the bill’s full text and a section-by-section, please CLICK HERE.

Markey Welcomes New Fuel Economy Standard

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

As gas prices rise, Markey looks ahead to revitalizing standard setting process

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of twin energy and climate panels in the House, today welcomed the announcement of new fuel economy standards for Model Year 2011 by President Obama. Rep. Markey has spent over two decades aggressively pushing for an increase in fuel economy standards.

“With gas prices once again on the rise, I am pleased to see the Obama administration taking this historic first step towards reducing our dependence on foreign oil and helping revitalize the domestic auto industry,” said Markey. “I look forward to working with the President to ensure that future standards are based on realistic assumptions and sound science.”

On Monday, Markey and more than 80 other Members of Congress sent President Obama a letter urging him to change flawed assumptions on calculating fuel economy standards put in place by the Bush Administration, including an assumption that the price of gasoline in 2030 would be $2.51/gallon, which had the effect of artificially lowering the maximum feasible standard that the law requires be set. The model year 2011 standards that were issued today corrected this grave deficiency, and the Administration indicated that as it moved forward to set standards for Model Year 2012 and beyond, that it would take a comprehensive new look at making further changes to NHTSA’s methodology.

The full text of the letter is available here: http://markey.house.gov/docs/090323_cafeletter.pdf

Earlier this week, Chairman Markey also sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that they examine the methodology with which NHTSA sets fuel economy standards in order to better inform the future standard-setting process.

Rep. Markey was a principal House author of the first mandated increase in fuel economy standards since 1975, which was contained in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The new law directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to raise fuel economy standards for both cars and light trucks to a fleet wide average of at least 35 miles per gallon in 2020, starting with model year 2011 vehicles, and additionally requires that the maximum feasible standard be set each year.

Lessons of Valdez: Protect the Arctic from Global Warming, Dangerous Drilling Practices

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Markey, Inslee, McCollum, Dozens of Members Urge Obama to Defend Arctic from Threats

WASHINGTON (March 24, 2009) – Twenty years ago today, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, blackening the Alaskan coast with nearly 11 million gallons of oil, killing wildlife and covering clear Pacific waters with sludge. Today, Congressional leaders identified the new threats to America’s northern waters, sending a letter to President Obama asking him to protect America’s Arctic region against the looming threat of global warming and ill-planned industrial activity. For the last eight years, the Bush administration pursued a reckless energy strategy in America’s arctic that sought to rush oil and gas leasing while disregarding climate science and protections for iconic species like the polar bear.

Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), today were joined by dozens of their colleagues calling upon the president and his administration to take several actions to protect the Arctic, which is endangered by global warming and oil and gas exploration. The letter commends the Interior Department for its plans to prepare a comprehensive offshore energy strategy, and issues the following recommendations:

--Support the strongest level of protection for the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and protect vital habitats of Teshekpuk Lake, both in Alaska.
--Establish an interagency task force to develop a science-based comprehensive conservation and energy plan for the Arctic.
--Suspend the expansion of all industrial activities in the region until such a plan may be completed.

“Two decades have passed since the Valdez ran aground, and we are still cleaning up that mess,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs key energy and climate panels in the House and this January re-introduced the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act (H.R. 39) to designate the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness with permanent protections. “Twenty years from now, we can’t look back and think ‘what should we have done to save the Arctic?’ The time to create a comprehensive plan to fight global warming and create sane energy policies is now, for the future of the Arctic and for us all.”

“The Arctic is melting, and it’s not doing so on Al Gore’s timeline -- Mother Nature is calling the shots here,” said Rep. Inslee. “We should pause to ensure we’re making informed decisions on the use of this land before expanding industrial activity in the area. These lands belong to all Americans, and we should make sure they’re used for the benefit of the people -- instead of the enrichment of business and industry.”

“Our country must adopt a comprehensive energy policy that is based on sound science and meets the needs of America’s economy and our ever fragile environment – including the Arctic. President Obama is committed to protecting our environment and I will be working closely with his administration to enact responsible policies to promote investments in clean energy, while preserving our environment and natural treasures for generations to come,” said Rep. Betty McCollum.

The lawmakers’ letter notes the increasing threats of global warming on the Arctic region, saying that “no place on Earth is being more rapidly or radically impacted by climate change.” The impacts on the Arctic—sea ice loss, risk to wildlife—are potentially exacerbated by development of oil and gas, both by the pollution the fuels cause, and by the potential danger from accidents like oil spills.

To read the letter, please CLICK HERE.
For a PDF of the letter including a list of the 67 signers, please CLICK HERE.

Markey: EPA Endangerment Finding Will End aEUR~Era of DenialaEUR(TM)

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Markey Investigation Discovered Bush Admin. Switched Positions on Endangerment;
Finding Would Aid in Enacting Federal Cap on Emissions, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2009) – Media reports indicate that the Environmental Protection Agency sent a proposal to the White House on Friday determining that global warming is, in fact, a danger to public health and welfare, as part of a long-awaited response to the landmark 2007 global warming Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v EPA. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key global warming panels in the House, praised the move by the Obama administration, after years of avoidance by the previous administration.

“This finding will officially end the era of denial on global warming,” said Rep. Markey. “Instead of allowing political interference in scientific and legal decisions, as was the case in the previous administration, the Obama administration is letting the sun shine in on the dangerous realities of global warming.”

An investigative report issued in the Summer of 2008 by Chairman Markey and his Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming found that members of government at the highest levels, including the office of President George W. Bush’s Chief of Staff and numerous heads of Cabinet departments, had decided to use the Clean Air Act to regulate global warming emissions not only from vehicles, but also from power plants, refineries, and other so-called stationary sources – but reversed their decision in the face of strong opposition from ExxonMobil and others within the oil industry, as well as from at least one senior adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney.

For more details on that investigation, CLICK HERE.

Chairman Markey and Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) of the Energy and Commerce Committee are currently drafting climate and energy legislation to control the emissions that cause global warming. An endangerment finding would send a strong signal to companies and industries that pump heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere that they will, one way or another, have to curb such emissions -- thereby enhancing prospects for enactment of a federal cap on global warming emissions.

Markey Urges President Obama to Change Flawed Bush Fuel Economy Assumptions

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Urges sound science and realistic assumptions on future gas prices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of twin climate and energy panels in the House, today sent a letter to President Obama, urging the administration to change flawed assumptions in calculating fuel economy standards. The draft regulations currently being considered were developed by the Bush Administration.

Republican Rep. Todd Russell Platts of Pennsylvania also authored the letter, which was co-signed by over 80 Democratic and Republican House lawmakers.

“We cannot allow American drivers to be shortchanged by overestimating the costs of implementing fuel economy standards and underestimating the benefits,” said Markey. “The draft regulations were based on flawed assumptions that must be fixed in order to get our national energy policy back on track.”

On April 22, 2008, the Bush Administration issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that included proposed standards that should result in a projected fleet-wide average of 31.6 mpg by 2015. The proposal was based on a systemic overestimation of the costs of implementing fuel efficient technologies and a systemic underestimation of its benefits, including an assumption that the price of gasoline in the year 2030 would be $2.51/gallon.

“This decision on fuel economy standards provides you with a historic opportunity to promote the development of more efficient, climate-friendly and technologically advanced vehicles that will put the American automotive industry back on a path to commercial viability,” Markey and Platts wrote in the letter.

To read the full text of the letter, please CLICK HERE.

Markey: Shell Does About Face on Renewables, Contradicting Congressional Testimony

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Company Drops Plans for Wind and Solar Projects as Oil Companies Increase Lobbying by 64 Percent

Washington, D.C. – After telling a Congressional panel that they were investing heavily in renewable energy, Shell Oil Company did an about-face and announced that it has dropped plans to invest in crucial renewable energy technologies like wind and solar. The then-president of the company appeared before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming last year and touted the company’s investments in alternatives as a solution to rising oil and gas prices.

Meanwhile, Shell increased its total lobbying budget in 2008, and the industry as a whole increased lobbying expenditures by 64 percent, according to new figures from the Center for Responsive Politics.

Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee issued the following statement: “I am disappointed, but cannot say I am surprised. Apparently Shell Oil only wants to place wind turbines and solar panels is in its big-budget commercials, rather than in places where they can help consumers.”

“Less than a year ago, the president of Shell Oil testified before Congress that they were committed to investing in renewables, singling out its wind and solar projects. Now he is gone and, yesterday, Shell dropped this ruse. The only thing big oil companies like Shell are interested in investing in is more lobbyists,” continued Rep. Markey.

On April 1, 2008, Mr. John Hofmeister, the then-president of Shell Oil Company, pledged his company’s dedication to renewable energy investment and research at a hearing of the Select Committee.
“Shell has invested in alternative and renewable technologies, as well as additional conventional and new unconventional energy sources,” Mr. Hofmeister testified. “Shell is becoming a significant wind energy producer.…Our activities focus on the development and operation of commercial-scale wind developments that can add significant power and capacity to the grid.”

Mr. Hofmeister continued, “Shell is an international developer of thin-film solar technology. We believe thin-film technology – although in the early phases of development – could prove to be the most commercially viable form of photovoltaic solar technology to generate electricity from the sun’s energy.” (For Mr. Hofmeister's full testimony, please CLICK HERE)

Rep. Markey concluded, “Shell’s refusal to invest in a renewable energy technologies ignores the future of clean energy. The economic recovery legislation passed by Congress last month included key measures that will enable American businesses to harness the power of green energy to help consumers save money and heal our planet. I urge Shell and the other major oil companies to seize this historic opportunity and join us in creating a clean energy future.”

Markey: StudyaEUR"Energy Efficiency Standard Would Save Consumers and Businesses $170 Billion, Create 220,000 Jobs

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Markey’s Bill Important Part of Comprehensive Energy and Climate Strategy

WASHINGTON (March 18, 2009) – A national energy efficiency standard would save consumers and businesses nearly $170 billion dollars on their energy bills and create 220,000 jobs, according to a report released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The study bolsters the case for a national energy efficiency standard to become law as part of a comprehensive energy and climate strategy. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels in the House, has introduced a national efficiency standard--the Save American Energy Act--that matches the one tested in the ACEEE study.

“$170 billion in savings plus 220,000 new jobs equals a good energy program,” said Rep. Markey. “Energy efficiency is the cheapest, easiest way to reduce carbon emissions and improve our energy economy.”

ACEEE’s report, Laying the Foundation for Implementing a Federal Energy Efficiency Resource Standard, analyzes 2008 economic and energy data and estimates benefits of a federal energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) requiring utilities to reduce electricity demand by 15 percent and natural gas demand by 10 percent by 2020.

The standard Rep. Markey has introduced would, according to the study:

create 222,000 permanent, high quality jobs in construction, manufacturing and other fields;
prevent 262 million metric tons of global warming emissions– equal to a year of heat-trapping pollution from 48 million cars;
eliminate the need to build 390 new power plants.

ACEEE also analyzed the benefits of a federal EERS for each state by 2020. For example:

Florida will create more than 19,500 new jobs and save $14 billion in energy costs.
Illinois will create more than 6,500 new jobs and save $3.6 billion in energy costs.
Indiana will create more than 5,000 new jobs and save $3.6 billion in energy costs.
North Carolina will create nearly 6,500 new jobs and save $3 billion in energy costs.
Tennessee will create more than 5,000 new jobs and save $3.5 billion on energy costs.

The ACEEE report is available at www.aceee.org/pubs/e091.htm.

Hearing 3/19: Getting from Point A to Point Green

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Select Committee Hearing on Green Transportation Policies

Please note, this hearing will NOT be webcast.

With global warming, clean energy and job-creating infrastructure projects high on the agenda for Congress and the Obama administration, and our nation’s primary transportation bill up for Congressional reauthorization, green transportation measures are gaining increasing attention. America’s transportation sector is responsible for approximately one-third of our country’s heat-trapping carbon emissions.

With these political and environmental factors as a backdrop, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Vice Chair Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) announced the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing on how various transit modes and the methodology and materials to build our transportation system can reduce global warming and cut our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing titled, “Constructing a Green Transportation Policy: Transit Modes and Infrastructure.”

WHEN: Thursday March 19, 2009, at 9:30 AM

WHERE: 2203 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC

WHO:
Panel One:
Peter Varga, CEO, Interurban Transit Partnership, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Andy Clark, Executive Director, League of American Bicyclists
Chris Zimmerman, Arlington County, Virginia Board Member
Mr. John Boesel, President and CEO, CalStart

Panel Two:
Don Weaver, Association of General Contractors Highway Division Chairman
Erika Guerra, Holcim (US) Inc.
Domenic G. Ruccolo, Senior Vice President, Construction and Forestry Division, John Deere

Saudi Arabia to U.S.: YES to Oil Addiction, NO to Renewable Energy

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Markey to Saudi Arabia: We Won’t Slow Down on Renewable Energy

WASHINGTON (March 16, 2009) – The Saudi Arabian Oil Minister today cautioned against the world moving too fast in developing clean, renewable energy, even as the country plans to move forward on solar energy. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels in the House, decried the sentiment by the Saudi government, saying it was the clearest argument yet for pushing even harder and faster to increase renewable energy in the United States and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

“We can’t allow oil cartels to scare America and the world away from developing renewable energy,” said Rep. Markey. “America is on the path to break our addiction to foreign oil, and the Saudi oil dealers are just trying to keep customers.”

Rep. Markey is the author of a renewable energy bill that would increase the amount of energy produced by wind, solar and other sources in America to 25 percent by the year 2025. The American Renewable Energy Act would save families and business money on electricity bills while dramatically reducing our nation’s global warming pollution. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have passed renewable electricity requirements.

Adopting a Renewable Electricity Standard of 25 percent is estimated to create more than 185,000 green jobs by 2025. Additionally, adopting a renewable electricity standard is projected to save consumers money by reducing their energy costs. A recent study showed that adopting a national standard of 25 percent is projected to save consumers $94 billion by 2030 in lower natural gas and electricity costs.

Markey: EPA Emissions Reporting Rule Crucial Step to Successful Climate and Energy Legislation

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON (March 10, 2009) – Since the United States must significantly cut global warming emissions, it is imperative that utilities, and the nation, know how much heat-trapping pollution we are sending up into the atmosphere. Today, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) took a giant, long-overdue step towards setting a baseline for emissions when they announced a draft rule to implement a national system for reporting global warming emissions. Today’s EPA announcement complies with Congress’s mandate on emission reporting, one that the Bush administration had ignored. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy and environment panels in the House with jurisdiction over the EPA, praised the announcement as a crucial step towards curbing heat-trapping emissions.

“The first step to recovery is acknowledging you have a problem. The second step is understanding the size of the problem,” said Rep. Markey. “This new program creates a global warming pollution map to tell us where we are and where we need to go.”

Last week, Rep. Markey’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee hosted a briefing with European environmental leaders. One lesson from the EU’s experience with their carbon control system is the importance of a full accounting of emissions at the beginning of the program, or else regulators will not know how many pollution credits to distribute. An excess of credits leads to false price signals in the market and underinvestment, whereas a shortage of credits makes compliance unnecessarily expensive.

“The European Union’s initial failure to accurately identify their emission levels severely handicapped their carbon pollution control system. We must learn from the EU’s mistakes in moving forward our clean energy policies,” continued Rep. Markey. “EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson’s quick action in producing this draft rule is vital as the Energy and Commerce Committee moves forward in drafting climate legislation this Spring. Accurate and timely reportage of U.S. global warming emissions is crucial to the successful implementation of climate legislation.”

Congress mandated that the EPA institute such a reporting rule as part of the FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2764; Public Law 110–161).

The full text of the EPA’s draft rule can be found by clicking here.

Markey: Obama Coal Ash Rule Will Plug Regulatory Leaks

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Markey Exchange with EPA Paved Way to Decision

WASHINGTON (March 9, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy and environment panels in the House, today praised the announcement by President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency that they would seek to regulate how toxic coal sludge is managed at dozens of sites across the country. In late December, 2008, an earthen dam holding millions of cubic yards of coal byproducts at a Kingston, TN coal facility owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority.

"President Obama and his environmental officials are thankfully plugging these regulatory leaks on coal byproducts," said Rep. Markey. "We shouldn’t wait for another dam to break before taking concrete action to shore up these coal sites."

Rep. Markey, who chairs the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over EPA, wrote to former EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson in January, 2009, asking about the lack of regulation of coal byproducts. The Obama administration’s EPA responded in mid-February that they did have the authority to regulate, paving the way for today’s announcement.

The January letter to the EPA from Chairman Markey can be found by clicking here.

The February response from the EPA can be found by clicking here.

In the January letter, Rep. Markey noted that, according to the EPA, at least 63 sites in 26 states existed where water was contaminated by dangerous heavy metals that had leached out of coal byproduct repositories. Coal sludge contains many heavy metals like arsenic and other toxic substances that can lead to cancer, birth defects and ecosystem damage.

Markey & Upton: Time Really is Money with Daylight (and Energy) Saving Bill

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

DOE report vindicates money and energy savings from Markey-Upton legislation extending Daylight Saving Time

WASHINGTON, DC (March 5, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, today said that the Markey-Upton Daylight Saving Time (DST) program saved American families nearly $500 million and 2.9 million barrels of oil during the extension of the program in 2007, according to a government report.

“This is one of the few times in life when we can actually prove the old adage that time is money,” said Markey. “Government analysis has proven that extra sunshine provides more than just smiles. Daylight Saving Time not only saves consumers money, but also curbs the nation’s energy consumption, while reducing carbon emissions that lead to global warming.”

“Between energy conservation, fewer traffic accidents and keeping kids safe on Halloween, the benefits of extending Daylight Saving Time are many – not to mention the additional hour of sunshine in the evening will help chase away the winter blues,” said Upton. “Government studies have proven the more daylight during the waking hours, the less electricity people use – most importantly, America’s families struggling to get by are now seeing real savings in their power bills.”

As part of the 2005 Energy Bill, Markey and Rep. Fred Upton amended the Uniform Time Act of 1996 to increase the portion of the year that is subject to DST, providing longer hours of daylight and helping consumers cut back on peak-hour electricity usage. The Markey-Upton Amendment extended the duration of DST in the spring by changing its start date from the first Sunday in April to the second Sunday in March, and in the fall by changing its end date from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in November.

The amendment required that the Department of Energy prepare a report evaluating the impact of the extended DST program. The key findings of the DOE report, issued in October 2008, included:

The total electricity savings of Extended Daylight Saving Time were about 1.3 Tera Watt-hour (TWh). This corresponds to a reduction in total use per individual of 0.5 percent per each day of Extended Daylight Saving Time.
These savings translate to $498 million in electricity savings and reduced oil usage of 2.9 million barrels of oil.
During Extended Daylight Saving Time, electricity savings generally occurred over a three- to five-hour period in the evening with small increases in usage during the early-morning hours.

CLICK HERE for the full DOE report.

Markey: Scientists No Longer Endangered Species under an Obama Admin.

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Markey: Scientists No Longer Endangered Species under an Obama Administration

Chairman Called for Legislative Language to Reverse Rules, Held Hearing on Bush Midnight Rules Same Day ESA Rule Was Issued

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who was first to call for Congressional review of Bush administration Endangered Species Act rule changes, praised President Obama and his administration today for reversing one of the last industry giveaways of the Bush administration. The president is set to announce today at a speech at the Interior Department that he will issue a presidential memorandum to put a hold on a rule issued by the Bush administration that would strip scientific review from the Endangered Species Act process and prevent scientists from considering the impacts of global warming.

“Today proves that, under an Obama administration, scientists are no longer an endangered species,” said Rep. Markey, whose Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing on Bush midnight rules the same day the Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule was issued. “Thankfully, ESA in the Obama administration now means we are ‘Ending the Scientific Aversion’ that characterized the Bush administration’s tenure.”

More information from the Bush rules hearing can be found here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/pubs/pubs_id=0061#main_content

The House included language passed last month in the omnibus spending bill that would give 60 days for the Obama administration to withdraw or reissue the ESA rule, as well as the special polar bear rule. And in the December, 2008 hearing on Bush midnight rulemakings, Chairman Markey said, “today's announcement that the Bush administration will be removing fish and wildlife experts from key decisions to protect the safety of iconic animals like the polar bear from global warming’s effects is absurd and a recipe for disaster.”

Rep. Markey also challenged the previous Interior Department Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne on the Bush administration’s budget cuts to the endangered species program. You can see a video of this exchange here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZLaV_JaJyc

“We stand at the ready here in Congress to help the Obama administration clean up the deregulated mess left over from the last eight years,” said Rep. Markey. “We applaud the president for taking such decisive action on this and other environmental rules.”

# # #

Hearing 3/4: Fighting Climate Change in Developing Countries

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Select Committee to Hold Hearing on Emerging Economies and Global Warming

CLICK HERE to WATCH LIVE.

WASHINGTON -- Historic emissions of industrialized countries like the United States are far higher than those of developing countries, and per capita emissions of industrialized countries are much higher than in developing countries. Nevertheless, looking at the absolute emissions of countries, it is becoming clear that the climate crisis cannot be solved without efforts of all major emitters. This includes countries like Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa.

On Wednesday, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled, “Preparing for Copenhagen: How Developing Countries Are Fighting Climate Change” to look at current efforts of developing nations to fight climate change and what this means for the climate negotiations in Copenhagen at the end of 2009.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “Preparing for Copenhagen: How Developing Countries Are Fighting Climate Change”

WHO: Mr. Carter Roberts, President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Ms. Barbara Finamore, China Programme Director, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Mr. Ned Helme, Presiden, Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP)
Mr. Lee Lane, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4, 9:30 AM

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC
and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

Markey to Hold Congressional Briefing with Youth Climate Leaders and Address Power Shift 09 Conference

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

WASHINGTON DC – This weekend more than 11,000 student climate leaders will descend on Washington, DC to take part in the Power Shift Climate Action Conference and Capitol Hill day of action. Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, will hold a special Congressional briefing with student leaders on Monday, March 2, 2009, at 1:30 PM, in 2172 Rayburn House Office Building.

The Congressional briefing, entitled "Youth Climate: Green Jobs, Clean Futures," will feature testimony from campus leaders and youth activists whose lives have been impacted by global warming and are meeting the climate challenge by building a clean energy future. Witnesses include a young cancer survivor who is now fighting to curb pollution in her local community, the son of an oil worker who is working to bring green jobs to New Mexico, a United Nations Climate Change youth delegate, a student entrepreneur who started a clean energy fund, and the head of the Energy Action Coalition.

In addition, Chairman Markey will be addressing the Power Shift 09 Conference on Saturday night, February 28, 2008 at the Washington D.C. Convention Center.

SATURDAY 2/28/09:

WHAT: Rep. Ed Markey to address more than 11,000 attendees of the Power Shift 2009 Conference
WHERE: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Pl, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, HALL D & E, (press entrance on L Street)
WHEN: Estimated Start Time: 8:00 PM

MONDAY 3/2/09:

WHAT: Select Committee Congressional briefing: "Youth Climate: Green Jobs, Clean Futures”
WHERE: 2172 Rayburn, U.S. Capitol Complex, and on the web at: http://www.globalwarming.house.gov/
WHEN: Monday, March 2, 2009 at 1:30 PM

CONTACT: Jeff Sharp, Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

Markey: Obama's Budget Reflects Momentum Towards Global Warming Bill

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Author of Cap-and-Invest System Lauds “Visionary” Budget

WASHINGTON (February 26, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who leads key global warming panels in the House and is writing the House version of an energy and global warming bill, today praised the Obama administration’s budget as a confirmation that the United States is on a path to a clean energy future that will protect the planet.

“This visionary budget reflects the congressional momentum to deliver a comprehensive global warming and energy package to President Obama,” said Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in Energy and Commerce, which is tasked with writing global warming and energy legislation. “This budget is a confirmation that we are on a path to a clean energy, climate-friendly future that will create jobs, protect consumers, and save the planet.”

Rep. Markey is the author of the cap-and-invest system, which caps pollution and then invests the revenues from carbon pollution credits back to consumers, clean energy technology, and other vital programs. The Obama administration’s budget reflects this approach.

“I agree with the president’s goal to adopt a cap-and-trade proposal and dedicate a large percentage of the revenue from polluters to consumer protection and clean energy technology,” said Rep. Markey. “The president and a majority of Congressional members are now all rowing in the same direction on climate and clean energy.”

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Chairman Edward J. Markey, 202-225-4012

Hearing 2/25: Get Smart on Smart Grid

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Select Committee Hearing to Focus on Technology Solutions for Updating Nation’s Energy Grid to Incorporate Renewable Energy

PLEASE NOTE: This hearing will NOT be webcast. YouTube clips will be posted later in the week.

WASHINGTON – Central to building a green economy will be updating the nation’s energy grid with technology solutions that improve efficiency, save consumers money and create new jobs.

Smart grid and smart metering technology will be needed to incorporate renewable energy from wind, solar and geothermal sources. The economic recovery package provided $11 billion for smart grid technology and development and an additional $6 billion for renewable energy transmission construction.

Chairman Edward J. Markey and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled, “Get Smart on the Smart Grid: How Technology Can Revolutionize Efficiency and Renewable Solutions” on Wednesday February 25th, 2009 at 9:30 AM EST. They will hear from energy experts and business leaders regarding energy efficiency gains that can be made by updating the nation’s energy grid using 21st century technology.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing, “Get Smart on the Smart Grid: How Technology Can Revolutionize Efficiency and Renewable Solutions.”

WHEN: Wednesday, February 25th, 2009, 9:30 AM EST

WHERE: 2247 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

WHO:
Allan Schurr, Vice President, IBM
Robert Gilligan, Vice President, General Electric
Tom Casey, CEO, CURRENT Group, LLC
Shirley Coates Brostmeyer, CEO, Florida Turbine Technolgies, Inc.
Charles Zimmerman, Vice President, Wal-Mart
Mr. James Hoecker, Hoecker Energy Law & Policy

CONTACT: Eben Burnham Snyder, Select Committee, 202.225.4012

Markey: Energy Provisions in Final Recovery Package Will Create Jobs, Lay Groundwork for Energy Revolution

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey: Energy Provisions in Final Recovery Package Will Create Jobs, Lay Groundwork for Energy Revolution

Chairman Markey Championed Increased Funding for Weatherization, Hybrid Batteries, State Energy Grants and Smart Grid Provisions

WASHINGTON (February 12, 2009) -- Today Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) praised the conference report of the economic recovery package as the first forward-looking energy and climate package put forward by a new administration and Congress that will establish necessary programs for long-term clean energy growth. Chairman Markey championed several energy measures that are included in the final package.

“By pushing renewables and efficiency, we will re-energize our economy, re-invigorate our workforce, and renew our commitment to a better environment,” said Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. “American workers will now help build an energy vision for the future, where plug-in hybrid cars and trucks are powered by clean energy transmitted across a technologically-advanced grid.”

Chairman Markey held many hearings on key energy issues that are included in the package, and pushed for several initiatives that are included in the economic recovery package, including:

--Increased investments in building weatherization projects totaling $5 billion.
--Grants for state energy programs totaling $6.3 billion.
--Grants and loans totaling $2 billion for advanced hybrid battery and clean car technology.
--Investments totaling $11 billion to create a smart grid that delivers electricity more securely and efficiently.

# # #

Markey: Offshore Proposal Shows Tide Has Turned Towards Reason in Obama Interior Department

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Offshore Proposal Shows Tide Has Turned Towards Reason in Obama Interior Department

WASHINGTON (February 10, 2009) – In announcing a full review of offshore energy activities, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Obama administration are bringing much-needed sanity back into our nation’s energy policy, said Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). The Interior Dept. announce today that it would extend the comment period on the so-called 5 year plan for offshore drilling by 180 days, would execute a resource assessment, and would finalize the rules for renewable energy development in offshore areas.

Below is the statement of Chairman Markey of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee:

“By exercising proper caution on potentially harmful offshore drilling, and establishing clear rules for the potential to create clean renewable energy in our nation’s oceans, the Obama administration is bringing much-needed regulatory sanity back into our energy policy.

“Secretary Salazar’s announcement today will put an end to the Bush administration’s policy of ‘drill first and ask questions later’ when it comes to opening new offshore areas.

“The tide has turned back towards reason and a comprehensive energy plan for our country that sees promise in the winds and the tides, not just in drills and rigs.”

# # #

Markey: Obama Appliance Updates Will Save Money, Cut Pollution

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Edward J. Markey, 202-225-4012

Markey: Obama Appliance Updates Will Save Money, Cut Pollution

Markey, Author of Original Appliance Standard Legislation, Says Move is Long-Overdue After Years of Delay by Bush Administration

WASHINGTON (February 5, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels in the House and is the author of the original legislation to require appliance efficiency standards, hailed today’s move by President Barack Obama to immediately update energy efficiency standards for dozens of appliances. Yesterday Rep. Markey introduced legislation that would set a national energy efficiency standard, which would include updates to appliance efficiency to meet the national efficiency goal.

“From ovens to lamps to dishwashers, President Obama is ensuring that the appliances we buy will be better for our pocketbook, for our environment, and for our economy,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “Updating appliance efficiency is a common sense move that allows consumers to save real dollars and cents.”

Rep. Markey was the author of the first act to set mandatory standards for appliances, the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, which passed in 1987. After the Bush administration missed dozens of deadlines to update appliance efficiency, Rep. Markey succeeded in putting an amendment in the 2005 energy bill that required the Department of Energy to report to Congress every six months on appliance standards that were behind schedule and on its plans for eliminating the backlog. A General Accounting Office report requested by Rep. Markey and released in early 2007 found that the Bush administration had missed 34 straight deadlines for updating appliance efficiency.

“We all want to buy the best appliances and gadgets for our homes and businesses, and finally we have a president who understands that energy efficiency is good energy and consumer policy,” said Rep. Markey. “Updating appliance efficiency, which hardly ever happened under the previous Bush administration, will save consumers money, encourage the use of better technology, and reduce pollution.”

“I have fought for better, more efficient appliances for more than 20 years” continued Rep. Markey. “It is refreshing to have a president who shares my faith in the power of energy efficiency.”

Please CLICK HERE for more information on Rep. Markey’s Save American Energy Act.

# # #

Markey, Platts Introduce Renewable Energy Legislation to Create Jobs, Build Clean Power and Fight Global Warming

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Edward J. Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey, Platts Introduce Renewable Energy Legislation to Create Jobs, Build Clean Power and Fight Global Warming

Markey Also Introduces Energy-Saving National Efficiency Plan

WASHINGTON (February 4, 2009) -- In a bi-partisan effort to create jobs and re-power the American energy sector, Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Todd Platts (R-Pa.) today introduced a renewable electricity standard that would ensure that America is generating a quarter of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2025. To compliment this expansion of clean energy with effective energy efficiency measures, Rep. Markey also introduced an energy efficiency standard that will cost-effectively cut electricity demand. The two measures will create more than a half million jobs and will save consumers more than $180 billion.

“With our economy in crisis, renewable energy can create hundreds of thousands of new green jobs, revitalize declining manufacturing sectors, and decrease global warming pollution,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs key energy panels in the House. “If we follow an ambitious clean energy path, American families will save money, construction and manufacturing workers will be back on the job, and our environment will be safer for generations to come. Massachusetts and more than half of the country already have renewable energy standards, and so should our entire nation.”

“This legislation takes a significant step - similar to what is already taking place in many states, including my home state of Pennsylvania - to help ensure America reduces its dependency on foreign oil and creates a more stable energy supply for our nation," said Rep. Platts. "Establishing a federal Renewable Electricity Standard will help to protect our environment as well as promote economic development and energy security.”

Reps. Markey and Platts joined together to pass the 35 mile per gallon fuel economy standard in the previous Congress.

The American Renewable Energy Act:
Click HERE for bill text

The American Renewable Energy Act creates a national renewable electricity standard (RES) that calls for generating 25 percent of electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal by 2025. While the American Renewable Energy Act creates manufacturing jobs, it will also save families and business money on electricity bills while dramatically reducing our nation’s global warming pollution. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia have passed renewable electricity requirements, and a national standard will further unleash technology innovation and put Americans back to work, creating more than 350,000 green jobs over the next decade. During the last Congress, the House repeatedly passes RES legislation with bipartisan support, and a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll said that 84 percent of Americans support requiring utilities to increase their use of renewable energy.

The American Renewable Energy Act embodies President Obama’s goal of ensuring that 25 percent of our electricity come from renewable sources by 2025.

The Save American Energy Act:
Click HERE for bill text

In addition to the American Renewable Energy Act, Rep. Markey also introduced an energy efficiency resource standard, which sets a clear goal for reducing electricity demand.

“Energy efficiency is all about working smarter, not harder,” said Rep. Markey, who authored previous key energy efficiency measures like the 1987 Appliance Efficiency Act. “This legislation has the effect of producing more energy without ever having to build a power plant. It is the most cost-effective, money-saving measure for consumers and utilities.”

The Save American Energy Act will obtain significant cost savings by instituting an energy efficiency resource standard that reduces electricity demand by fifteen percent by 2020. Efficiency measures are not only the fastest, cheapest and cleanest source of energy, they will also lead to $130 billion in consumer savings over the next 20 years. Efficiency measures in the Save American Energy Act will lead to the creation of 260,000 new jobs, putting people to work in retrofitting buildings and weatherizing homes. As efficiency measures decrease energy consumption, The Save American Energy Act will reduce peak electricity demand by 90,000 megawatts by 2020, eliminating the need to build 300 medium-size power plants.

President Obama has stated a goal of reducing electricity use 15 percent by 2020, which this legislation would achieve.

# # #

HEARING 2.4.09: Roadmap from Poznan to Copenhagen aEUR" Preconditions for Success

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Committee Hearing: Roadmap from Poznan to Copenhagen – Preconditions for Success

International Roadmap Hearing to Explore Challenges in Crafting Successor to Kyoto Agreement

To watch the webcast live, please CLICK HERE.

Ahead of the next round of ambitious United Nations climate talks, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will convene a hearing to explore the challenges facing both the United States and the international community in creating an effective international response to climate change.

The conference next month in Bonn, Germany takes up where the conferees left off last December in Poznan, Poland during the latest round of U.N. Climate Change talks. The deadline for updating the world's approach to battling climate change is December 2009, when nearly 200 countries will meet at a pivotal climate conference in Copenhagan, Denmark. At the same time, Rep. Markey’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is developing ambitious climate legislation to tackle global warming and energy independence.

A panel of diplomatic and climate expert witnesses will inform the Select Committee on what must be accomplished prior to the Copenhagen meeting, what to expect with regard to the ongoing negotiation processes, and the challenges for success post-Copenhagen. Appearing before the Committee will be John Bruton, the European Commission's ambassador to the United States, and two veteran observers to the international climate talks: Elliot Diringer of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and Rob Bradley from the World Resources Institute.

WHAT: Select Committee briefing and hearing, "Roadmap from Poznan to Copenhagen – Preconditions for Success"

WHERE: 2318 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHEN: Wednesday, February 4th, 2009, 10:00 AM

WHO: John Bruton, Delegation of the European Commission and Ambassador to the U.S. Elliot Diringer, Vice President of International Strategies at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change Rob Bradley, Director of the International Climate Policy Initiative at the World Resources Institute Karen Alderman Harbert, President and CEO, Institute for 21st Century Energy.

Markey Urges Obama Admin. to Strengthen Markey-authored Fuel Economy Standards

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey Urges Obama Admin. to Strengthen Markey-authored Fuel Economy Standards

Gas Price Scenarios, Technology Assumptions Can Have Huge Effects on Law, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (January 26, 2009) – Following the announcement today that the Obama administration would reconsider how to implement the fuel economy standards he authored, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and of the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee, sent a letter to the new Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood with vital information on how to effectively implement the fuel economy law.

Chairman Markey’s letter to Secretary LaHood can be found here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/letters_id=0030#main_content

“I am thrilled that after eight years of fighting the Bush administration to pass my fuel economy law, the Obama administration is acting within eight days to make sure it is implemented correctly,” said Chairman Markey. “By using better science, and having faith in the automotive industry’s capacity to innovate, America can make great strides towards ending our dependence on foreign oil and revitalizing our auto industry.”

The letter outlines three major items to which Secretary LaHood and the Obama administration should pay close attention:

--Gas price scenarios: instead of using the lower future gas price scenarios to analyze the costs and benefits of fuel-saving technology, as the Bush administration had done, Secretary LaHood should use more realistic scenarios. Chairman Markey, former-Rep. and now President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sent a letter to then-President Bush last year suggesting this course of action.

The letter on gas price scenarios from Chairman Ed Markey and Rahm Emanuel, among others, can be found here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/mediacenter/letters_id=0023#main_content

--Technology assumptions: The Bush Administration yielded to auto industry requests to dramatically revise downwards the benefits fuel-saving technologies would yield, and slow down the rates at which they should be incorporated into the automotive fleet. The Obama administration should not make the same mistake, or have the same lack of faith in the automotive industry to adapt.

--Eradicate language stopping global warming regulation: Previous versions of the fuel economy rules promulgated by the Bush administration contained language that is in direct conflict with the California clean car law, which President Obama said today he will reconsider allowing to go forward. Future fuel economy regulations should eliminate this language, especially following today’s announcement.

# # #

Markey: Obama Keeping Pledge on Fuel Economy, Global Warming

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Author of Fuel Economy Standards Praises "Energy Triple Play" by Visionary President

WASHINGTON (January 26, 2009) – Reports indicate that President Barack Obama will announce today that he will reassess America's fuel economy standards and how they could be strengthened; will grant a waiver to allow California, Massachusetts and other states to proceed with a landmark global warming tailpipe standard; and will announce an effort to increase the energy savings from federal agencies.

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) who chairs key energy and global warming panels in the House, and is a chief author of the new fuel economy standards being considered in the new Obama administration, issued the following statement today:

“Eight years ago, we had a president who broke his campaign promises to fight global warming and increase our energy independence. Today, President Obama is keeping his pledge to rebuild our economy, protect our climate, and move America towards an efficient, clean energy future.

“This is an energy triple play that will cut global warming pollution, increase innovation, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It shows what a visionary president is capable of doing, and the faith he has in the economic revival that America's automotive and energy industries can produce.

“After more than a decade of fighting for stronger fuel economy standards, I was worried the Bush administration would scuttle the progress we had made and turn strong policy into shaky results. President Obama is right to reconsider the way these fuel economy standards are implemented, and will undoubtedly use sound science and realistic analysis to achieve the strongest results that benefit consumers.

“Granting the waiver to California, Massachusetts and other states to go forward with reducing global warming emissions from vehicle tailpipes is what even the Bush Administration’s own experts concluded must be done, and I’m delighted that the era of politics trumping science and the law is over. I call upon the auto industry to use the billions in bailout funds they have received to engineer a cleaner, more efficient future, instead of continuing to litigate their way to protecting a dirty, inefficient past.

“And as we push to weatherize and update millions of homes and buildings in an effort to create jobs, making our federal agencies more energy efficient is a perfect way to practice what we are preaching.

“President Obama is choosing technology innovation over traditional stagnation, and it will make our cars and trucks better, our buildings more efficient and our planet safer.”

# # #

Markey Praises aEUR~Green and BoldaEUR(TM) Stimulus Package

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Markey Praises ‘Green and Bold’ Stimulus Package

Bill includes billions for plug-in batteries, renewable energy and weatherization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), who chairs key energy and global warming panels in the House, praised the stimulus package released today for its robust funding of smart energy policies that will create jobs and set a path for long-term growth of the American economy. Chairman Markey held a hearing today on the job growth potential from the economic stimulus package, specifically “Green Jobs” from the energy and environment sector.

For years Chairman Markey has pushed for increased action to support clean energy programs, and has held multiple hearings in the Select Committee on plug-in hybrid technology, energy efficiency and weatherization programs, and the need to fully support America’s clean energy industries.

Below is the statement from Chairman Markey, which he delivered at today’s Select Committee hearing:

“This is a green and bold stimulus package that will help our economy and protect our environment,” Rep. Markey said.

“As some of you may know, the stimulus package was released earlier today. I, and the Select Committee, are pleased that many of the proposals we have discussed in multiple hearings over the last two years have been included.

“There are important incentives and innovative policies to support the wind industry, and billions in funding for a “Smart Grid” that will use internet technology to help deliver electricity to Americans in a smarter, more efficient manner.

“There is a sizeable investment in the batteries that will power the plug-in hybrid vehicles we will all one day drive, and ensure that the batteries will be produced here in America, so we’re not exchanging our dependence on Middle East oil for Southeast Asian batteries.

“We will provide $10 billion dollars for cities to become more energy efficient, and $6.2 billion to weatherize homes and buildings across America.”

# # #

Markey, Rahall Introduce Legislation to Undo Bush Midnight ESA Rule

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey, Rahall Introduce Legislation to Undo Bush Midnight ESA Rule

Legislation Would Reverse Weakening of Key Environmental Law

WASHINGTON (January 15, 2009) – Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels and is a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced a joint resolution with Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) and other leading House Democrats, disapproving of the Bush administration’s recent actions to weaken Endangered Species Act protections. In its final days in office, the Bush administration has finalized a rule change that would remove Fish and Wildlife scientists from key decisions about the health of endangered species and ignore the impacts of global warming. Congress has the authority to undo such last-minute rule changes through legislative action.

“These endangered species can’t protect themselves from last-minute Bush giveaways, so we will take action on their behalf,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. “The anti-science, anti-regulatory days of the Bush administration are over, and our government must once again address environmental questions with care.”

The legislative mechanism Rep. Markey and others have used in this legislation to battle the ESA rulemaking is the Congressional Review Act, which allows the Congress an opportunity to overturn rules issued by the executive branch in its final days in office. It has been used only once before in 2001 by the then Republican-controlled Congress to overturn a Clinton administration OSHA rule. The resolution of disapproval requires majority support in both chambers, and the signature of the sitting president.

The joint resolution is co-sponsored by George Miller (D-Calif.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Rush Holt (D-N.J.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), John Dingell (D-Mich.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Sam Farr (D-Calif.), and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).

# # #

Markey: New Oil Royalty Ruling Could Cost Taxpayers $60 Billio

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: New Oil Royalty Ruling Could Cost Taxpayers $60 Billion

Legislation Needed to Avoid Oil Company Windfall, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (January 13, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who chairs key energy panels and is a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee, today assailed a court’s decision to allow oil companies to drill for free on public lands due to faulty lease agreements. The case, originally brought by oil company Kerr-McGee -- now Anadarko -- is a test case for every other oil company holding a deepwater Gulf of Mexico lease issued by the Interior Department in 1996, 1997 and 2000. Should Anadarko prevail in its lawsuit, it could lead to a flurry of lawsuits from other companies seeking to drill for free. The Department of Interior has estimated that, if the oil companies are successful, it could cost taxpayers as much as $60 billion in lost royalties.

“While American families are counting pennies to get by, the oil companies are counting on this litigation to reap a multi-billion dollar windfall from American taxpayers,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, along with being a senior member of the Natural Resources Committee. “Big Oil is litigating a loophole to avoid paying billions of dollars to which the public is fully entitled.”

The House has repeatedly passed legislative language in previous Congresses introduced by Rep. Markey, which would recover the estimated $10 billion in unpaid royalties from faulty 1998-99 leases in the Gulf of Mexico. If enacted into law, according to the Congressional Research Service, Rep. Markey’s language would also protect taxpayers from losing up to $60 billion that they are rightfully owed from the leases issued in 1996, 1997 and 2000, if the Anadarko ruling were ultimately allowed to stand.

“I will continue the fight to ensure that Big Oil does not rob billions of dollars from the federal treasury,” continued Rep. Markey. “This money is intended to serve the American people, not oil executives.”

# # #

Markey: New Bush Power Plant Rule Latest Loophole in Last Minute Rulemakings

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

WASHINGTON (January 12, 2009) – Today the Bush administration’s Environmental Protection Agency released a new power plant pollution rule under the New Source Review program which could prove to be yet another in a long line of loopholes given to energy industries. This new revision of the NSR program, which regulates whether power plants should be required to install new pollution controls when they upgrade their facilities, changes EPA's aggregation policy – aggregating emissions from multiple projects when considering whether the changes should trigger NSR action.

Below is the statement of Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Clean Air Act:

“With eight days to go before leaving office, the Bush administration today finalized yet another midnight rulemaking that will harm public health and our planet. By allowing industrial facilities to artificially avoid triggering New Source Review requirements for pollution controls, the Bush administration has today created a loophole the size of a smokestack.”

# # #

Van Jones & Philadelphia Mayor to Headline Hearing on Green Jobs and Economic Stimulus

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Hearing on Green Jobs, Efficiency Opportunities in Economic Stimulus Package: Creating Opportunities for All

Van Jones, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to Headline Select Committee’s First Hearing of the 111th Congress

This Hearing will be Webcast LIVE at 2:00 PM Today, CLICK HERE to watch.

WASHINGTON – This Thursday, January 15th, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will devote its first hearing of the 111th Congress to creating jobs and stimulating our economy through renewable energy and efficiency programs. The economic stimulus package being worked on by Congress and President-elect Barack Obama presents an opportunity for America to take a step forward by investing in renewable technology and infrastructure that will put people to work while transitioning our nation to a clean energy economy.

The panel will include Van Jones, founder of Green for All, an organization promoting green-collar jobs and opportunities for the disadvantaged; Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia; Trevor Houser, an expert on energy markets and climate change; and Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. The hearing will be held on January 15th, at 2:00 PM -- 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing, “Stimulus Package and Energy: Creating Jobs, Opportunities for All”

WHEN: Thursday, January 15th, 2009, 2:00 PM
WHERE: U.S. Capital Complex, 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
WHO:

Van Jones, Director, founding president of Green For All
The Honorable Michael Nutter, City of Philadelphia
The Honorable Douglas Palmer, Mayor, City of Trenton
Denise Bode, CEO, American Wind Energy Association
Trevor Houser, Visiting Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Partner, Rhodium Group, LLC (RHG)
Dr. David Kreutzer, Senior Policy Analyst in Energy Economics and Climate Change at the Heritage Foundation

Markey to get Expanded Role on Energy & Environment in 111th Congress

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

SELECT COMMITTEE UPDATE

From the The Markey Memo, January 8, 2009
CLICK HERE to sign up

Two pieces of exciting news to report. First, in addition to chairing the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming during the new 111th Congress, which was reauthorized this week, Congressman Ed Markey will also become Chairman of the new Subcommittee on the Energy and the Environment over in the Energy and Commerce Committee (this new subcommittee combines the Energy and Air Quality and the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittees).

To read the press release, CLICK HERE.

Leading both committees will give Chairman Markey a 1-2 punch and unprecedented capacity on Capital Hill to investigate, legislate and educate. Markey will be able to draw on information gathered during Select Committee hearings and investigations as he works with Members of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee to develop and advance new legislation that will increase renewable energy technology, create green jobs and fight global warming.

As the Select Committee learned during our over 50 hearings last Congress, the climate crisis is impacting a number of areas which extend beyond traditional energy and environmental policy, including: national security, public health, transportation and building construction. The Select Committee will continue to have jurisdiction to investigate and educate the public on these and other areas.

Second, the Select Committee has announced its first hearing of the year which will focus on our nation’s most pressing priority: stimulating the economy and creating jobs. The hearing will feature green jobs champion Van Jones, of Green for All, who is profiled in this weeks New Yorker Magazine.

The hearing will be held on THURSDAY, January 15th, at 2:00 PM. Additional information, including room number and additional witness list will be available on the Select Committee website next week.

MUST READ - News Stories:

1) TIME: America’s Untapped Resource –Boosting Efficiency
2) BOSTON GLOBE: Markey to Lead Powerful Energy Subcommittee
3) GRIST: Markey to take Chairmanship of new Energy and Environment Subcommittee

NEW VIDEO HIGHLIGHT CLIPS ADDED:

1) Video of Robert Kennedy Jr. testimony from Oversight hearing on Bush Administration's Last-Minute Rulemakings, CLICK HERE to WATCH
2) Video highlights from hearing on the Green Future of the Auto Industry, CLICK HERE to WATCH

MARKEY REINTRODUCES BILL TO PROTECT ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

MARKEY REINTRODUCES BILL TO PROTECT ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

WASHINGTON (January 6, 2009) – Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) reintroduced the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act (H.R. 39) to designate the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness with permanent protections. Rep. Markey is a Senior Member of the Natural Resources and Energy and Commerce committees, and is the Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Rep. Markey said, “The 111th Congress marks a time of real change, ending the shortsighted era of ‘drill, drill, drill’ and looking towards smart, green policies that will grow our economy and protect our environment. The Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act honors two great American visionaries by designating the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness in their names and giving permanent protection to this great unspoiled wild place.”

“The Arctic Refuge is the crown jewel of the Wildlife Refuge System,” Markey continued. “Protecting the Refuge will send a strong statement of our nation’s intent to preserve America’s pristine wilderness areas, break our dangerous addiction to oil, and kick-start a green revolution that will create jobs, grow the economy, and promote energy independence.”

Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the bipartisan legacy of fighting to protect the Artic Refuge for future generations when he set aside the core of the Refuge in 1960. Twenty years later, in 1980, Democratic Representative Morris Udall succeeded in doubling the size of the Refuge, protecting even more of this untrammeled wilderness from oil drilling with the Alaska Natural Interest Lands Conservation Act. Rep. Markey is reintroducing this bill as H.R. 39, the original bill number given to Rep. Udall’s bill that became law. Rep. Markey has led the fight in the House to protect the Arctic Refuge since 2001.

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Markey: Massachusetts Leading on Global Warming with Low-Carbon Fuel Standard

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey: Massachusetts Leading on Global Warming with Low-Carbon Fuel Standard

Chairman Has Introduced Fuel Standard in Congress As Part of Comprehensive Climate Program

WASHINGTON (January 5, 2009) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Malden) today praised Massachusetts and the other leading states for their move towards enacting a low-carbon fuel standard, and pledged to continue fighting for a federal standard for all states. Rep. Markey’s climate bill, iCAP (Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act) includes a federal low-carbon standard, which would cut global warming emissions from the fuels we use for transportation and other activities.

“While Massachusetts leads the way for states combating global warming, we in Washington will push for strong federal action, including cutting global warming emissions in our vehicles,” said Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and was the chief House author of the 35 mile per gallon fuel economy standard that passed last Congress. “Cleaner fuels require cleaner technologies, and energy innovation is what will heal our planet and strengthen our economy. This is a winning strategy for our economic climate and our planetary climate.”

# # #

DOE Responds to Markey Request: Will Start Filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve While Cost of Oil Is Low

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

DOE Responds to Markey Request: Will Start Filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve While Cost of Oil Is Low

Consumers and Taxpayers Benefit by Government Taking Advantage of Low Price of Oil

WASHINGTON DC (January 2, 2009) – After a request issued earlier this week from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and others to start re-filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced today it will seek to purchase approximately 12 million barrels of crude oil. Rep. Markey and other members of Congress passed a bill last year that forced the Bush administration to cease filling the reserve during the record price spike of 2008, and encouraged DOE to begin filling the SPR again when prices lowered. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that had the DOE filled the SPR using a constant dollar value -- rather than a constant volume between 2001 and 2005 -- it could have reduced costs to taxpayers by more than 10 percent, saving approximately $590 million.

Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement:

“Now that the holiday shopping season is over, it appears the Bush administration is finally joining other consumers in shopping for some bargains. Filling our nation’s oil reserves now, when prices are low, is smart energy and economic policy that will benefit consumers and taxpayers. It made little sense to buy oil for the reserve when it was more than $140 a barrel. But now, with prices about $100 lower, resuming the purchase of oil for our reserves is warranted in order to advance America’s long-term energy security goals and save taxpayer money.”

To read the letter on SPR sent by Rep. Markey and others, please CLICK HERE.

# # #

Letter to Bush Admin, Time to Buy Oil for Strategic Reserves

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Bush Administration New Year’s Resolution Should Be to Buy Oil for Reserves

WASHINGTON (December 30, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and other lawmakers today called upon the Department of Energy to resume buying oil for America’s national oil reserves, calling it the prudent response to lower oil prices, just as stopping the fill of the reserves was a prudent response when oil rose above $100 per barrel. Rep. Markey, along with Reps. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), were principal authors of the bill that forced the Bush administration to stop filling the reserves in May of 2008.

“At current prices, a smart New Year’s resolution for the Bush administration is to start buying oil again for our national reserves,” said Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Just as it was prudent to stop buying oil at record high prices, we should continue to fill the reserves now that prices have plummeted. That’s sensible fiscal policy, plain and simple.”

The letter, sent by Reps. Markey and Welch to DOE Secretary Samuel Bodman, explains that while the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-232), which was enacted into law on May 19, 2008, mandated that the Department suspend filling the SPR through December 31, 2008, lower prices now dictate a need to start buying oil once again. The legislation said that oil could be purchased again when average prices dipped below $75 per barrel for 90 consecutive days. However, because oil has declined so precipitously—by more than $100 since the high of $147 this summer— the letter says “once again entering into contracts to fill the SPR would appear to be financially prudent for the Department, and consistent with Congressional goals for this program.”

The letter notes the recommendation of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that the Department seek to “acquire more oil [to fill the SPR] when prices are low and less when prices are high.” GAO has estimated that had the Department of Energy filled the SPR using a constant dollar value rather than a constant volume between 2001 and 2005 it could have reduced costs to taxpayers by more than 10 percent, saving approximately $590 million.

To download a PDF of the letter, please CLICK HERE.

# # #

MARKEY: Solis is Green Jobs Champion

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

MARKEY: Solis is Green Jobs Champion

Select Committee Member Is Bridge to New Green Future for America’s Labor Force

WASHINGTON (December 19, 2008) – Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy independence and Global Warming released the follow statement on the nomination of Select Committee Member Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) as Secretary of Labor for President-Elect Barack Obama:

“Rep Solis understands that reinvigorating America’s economy must involve millions of new green jobs, with America’s workers building the solar panels, plug-in hybrids, and energy efficient buildings that will power our nation’s future for decades to come.

“Rep. Solis is one of the most thoughtful Members of Congress I have every had the privilege to serve with. Her leadership qualities were on display in our Select Committee, where Hilda skillfully employed both her ability to communicate and to listen in order to advocate for green jobs legislation.”

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MARKEY: Instead of Being aEUR~CaretakersaEUR(TM), Bush Admin. Taking Care of Polluters Wishes

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

MARKEY: Instead of Being ‘Caretakers’, Bush Admin. Taking Care of Polluters Wishes

Newest Midnight Global Warming Memo Another Black Mark on Bush Legacy

WASHINGTON (December 19, 2008) – Late yesterday EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson circumvented his own agency’s -- and the public’s -- review process and ruled that EPA does not need to consider global warming pollution when issuing permits for new coal-fired power plants. This potentially illegal action follows a long pattern of obstructionism on global warming from the Bush administration’s EPA, and is yet another last minute midnight rulemaking from the administration that will force an incoming Obama administration and new Congress to divert energy away from addressing serious challenges to instead reversing blatant industry giveaways.

“Instead of being caretakers for the next administration and the planet, President Bush and the EPA are making sure that polluters are getting their needs taken care of before January 20,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “This new, illegal ruling, along with many other midnight rulemakings, continues a stunning pattern of disregard for the law, the planet, and for the change Americans say they want in our energy and environmental policies.”
This new memo continues a disturbing trend in the Bush administration to block any real action on global warming, and could allow the progress of dozens of coal-fired power plants that do not capture heat-trapping pollution. Chairman Markey has authored legislation that would prevent the construction of new coal-fired power plants that do not use carbon capture and sequestration technology.

Chairman Markey has conducted vigorous oversight over the Bush administration’s EPA, including a Select Committee investigation that found that members of government at the highest levels, including the office of President George W. Bush’s Chief of Staff and numerous heads of Cabinet departments, had decided to use the Clean Air Act to regulate global warming emissions from power plants, but reversed their decision.
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MARKEY: Salazar Will Remove aEURoeFor SaleaEUR? Sign on AmericaaEUR(TM)s Lands, Restore Respectability at Interior Dept.

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

MARKEY: Salazar Will Remove “For Sale” Sign on America’s Lands, Restore Respectability at Interior Dept.

WASHINGTON (December 17, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a 30-plus year veteran of the House Natural Resources Committee and Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement on the nomination of Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) to be Interior Secretary:

“Ken Salazar will bring respectability back to the Interior Department by removing the ‘For Sale’ sign the Bush administration has placed on our public lands for the last eight years, giving away millions of acres to fossil fuel barons.

“He will choose protecting American taxpayers over padding the pockets of Exxon. And he will push for better oversight of his own agency, which has had some of the most severe ethical problems during the Bush administration’s tenure.”

# # #

Markey Applauds Obama Energy and Climate Appointments

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Select Committee, 202.225.4012
Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-2836

Markey Applauds Obama Energy and Climate Appointments

Team will show leadership on climate policy, energy independence and creating green jobs

WASHINGTON (December 15, 2008) -- Today, Congressman Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement in response to President-elect Barack Obama’s selection of Dr. Steven Chu for Secretary of Energy, Carol Browner as Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, Lisa Jackson as EPA Administrator, Nancy Sutley as head of the Council on Environmental Quality, and Heather Zichal as Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change:

“After eight long years of global warming denial and delay by the Bush administration, President-elect Obama has assembled a team that will put ‘energy’ back into the Department of Energy, ‘protection’ back into the Environmental Protection Agency, and finally bring climate into serious discussion at the White House.

“Finding the perfect mix of science, experience, and political savvy, President-elect Obama has assembled a world class team to lead America in the fight against global warming and place our nation on a path to a clean energy future.

“The unprecedented selection of Dr. Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy marks the first time a Nobel laureate has been nominated to serve at the cabinet level. Carol Browner brings unmatched climate experience and political leadership to the White House, while Heather Zichal -- who proudly served my home state of Massachusetts as Senator John Kerry’s legislative director -- will help the Obama Administration navigate Capitol Hill. Rounding out the new team are Lisa Jackson and Nancy Sutley, who have demonstrated success in creating efficiency and climate programs in the true action centers of clean energy fight - our cities and states.

“I commend the president-elect for his selection of Dr. Chu. Not since President Kennedy named MIT's Jerome B. Wiesner to serve as his science advisor, has a presidential appointment reflected the importance of harnessing the talents and energies of our nation's most brilliant scientists and engineers to transform national policy.

"Moreover, with Carol Browner and Heather Zichal at the White House, Lisa Jackson at the EPA, and Nancy Sutley over at the Council on Environmental Quality, the new administration will have an energy and environment team with the skills and judgment needed to meet our energy and environmental challenges. I look forward to working with this excellent team.”

For more information on Chairman Markey, and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming website please visit: www.globalwarming.house.gov

Markey: Poznan's Flat Earth Retirement Party Bodes Well for 2009

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Chairman Ed Markey, 48-694-498-384 (Poland)

Markey: Poznan's Flat Earth Retirement Party Bodes Well for 2009

Developing Countries, EU, Others Make Progress as World Is Encouraged by Incoming Obama Administration

POZNAN, Poland (December 12, 2008) – As the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol concludes, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the author of the global warming bill with the strongest targets to date in Congress, issued the following statement:

"This climate conference will go down in history as the retirement party for the flat-earth society of the United States of America. The world is excitedly anticipating the first climate-friendly administration in eight years, and the U.S. Congress is ready to work with President-elect Obama to ensure that next year's negotiations will go down in history as a celebration of the re-birth of U.S. leadership and the salvation of the planet.

"Congressional leaders are ready to enact strong, bi-partisan legislation this year that will follow the science and lead our economy into a cleaner, more prosperous future. Our intention is to help President-elect Obama arrive in Copenhagen next year in a position of strength where the U.S. is again a leader."

# # #

Markey: Bush Determined to Weaken Endangered Species Protections in Final Days

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Select Committee, 202-225-4012
Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-2836

WASHINGTON (December 11, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, decried the Department of Interior's announcement today that they will be attempting to weaken protections under the Endangered Species Act in the final hours of the Bush Administration.

“The Bush Administration appears to be determined to use every last minute in office to wreak as much havoc as possible on our nation. Today's announcement that they will be removing fish and wildlife experts from key decisions to protect the safety of iconic animals like the polar bear from global warming’s effects is absurd and a recipe for disaster," said Chairman Markey.

This morning, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming held a hearing chaired by Rep. Markey to investigating last-minute Bush Administration energy and environment rulemakings.

“As I said during our hearing this morning, our committee will remain vigilant in these final hours of the Bush administration, casting light on all their attempts to surgically gut policies and programs that impact the land we love, the air we breath, the water we drink and the endangered species we cherish,” Markey said.

Markey Reacts To Bush EPA Dropping Plant Regulatory Loophole

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4012

December 10, 2008:

Markey Reacts To Bush EPA Dropping Plant Regulatory Loophole

The following statement from Chairman Edward J. Markey, Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, is in response to notification from the Environmental Protection Agency that they will not make last minute changes to the New Source Review program for power plants.

“I am glad to see that a little sunshine at midnight persuaded the Bush Administration to back off its attempts to push through a loophole for dirty power plants that would have significantly degraded air quality for all Americans and exacerbated the climate crisis.”

“The EPA staff had estimated that this rule change would have led to an increase in global warming emissions of at least 74 million tons per year by 2020. My Select Committee will continue to keep the pressure on the Bush Administration until they turn off the lights at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.”

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will be holding a hearing tomorrow (December 11th, 2008 at 10 AM in 210 Cannon House Office Building) to examine this and other Bush Administration proposed last-minute rulemakings that would present a threat to air and water quality as well as endangered species. For a full report on this topic, please CLICK HERE.

Hearing 12/11:Investigating Last-Minute Bush Energy and Environment Rulemakings

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TOMORROW, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4012

Hearing to Investigate Last-Minute Bush Energy and Environment Rulemakings

Interior Department Announces Alarming Rule to Skirt Congressional Oversight Authority and Push Forward on Illegal Uranium Mining

For testimony, photos and video highlights, please CLICK HERE.

The announcement by the Interior Department of a new rule eliminating Congress’s authority to prevent new mining on public lands escalated concerns about the Bush administration's last ditch efforts to push through major regulatory rule changes to energy and environmental policies. From global warming to water quality to endangered species to clean air, the Bush administration is pushing harder than ever to advance its anti-environmental agenda by rescinding, changing, or issuing rules, with negative consequences for our natural resources, environment, and America’s energy policy.

A panel of environmental and regulatory experts will discuss the ramifications of these last-minute rulemakings at a hearing tomorrow before Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

The Select Committee recently released a report detailing these frightening possible significant regulatory rule changes by the Bush administration in its final days. The report is entitled “Past is Prologue: For Energy and the Environment, the Bush Administration's Last 100 Days Could Rival the First 100” and is available HERE. It highlights the major issues the public and the media should look out for in the closing days of an administration that possesses a sharp deregulatory bent.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: "Approaching Midnight: Oversight of the Bush Administration's Last-Minute Rulemakings."

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHEN: Thursday, December 11th, 2008, 10:00 AM

WHO:
Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chairman, Waterkeeper Alliance
Ms. Jamie Rappaport Clark, Executive Vice President, Defenders of Wildlife
Mr. John Walke, Clean Air Director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Mr. Jeffrey R. Holmstead, Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

HEARING 12/9: Energy Independence Implications of Auto Bailout

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Auto Bailout Hearing to Explore Energy Independence Implications

New Analysis Released Today Says GM, Ford Can Meet Higher Fuel Economy, Global Warming Standards

For testimony, photos and video highlights from this hearing, please CLICK HERE.

As Congress considers a multi-billion dollar program of loans to America’s auto industry, many measures of success or failure exist for the industry and the government’s attempts to help the automakers. Chief among those measures of success is how effectively America’s auto industry, and the industry as a whole, is transformed to build cars for the future that reduce our dependence on oil. Will the auto industry meet the fuel economy rules passed by Congress and signed into law nearly a year ago, which could revitalize the industry? Should American taxpayers expect even higher fuel economy performance in return for their investment of additional billions in loans? Do the auto companies’ plans impair their ability to meet the current fuel economy regime?

A panel of auto industry and fuel economy experts will discuss these issues and other energy implications of the automotive industry loan program at a hearing tomorrow before Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Chairman Markey authored the House language that became the current fuel economy standards of at least 35 mile per gallon by 2020.

Today an analysis of the car companies’ own data revealed that General Motors and Ford are now positioned to comply with California's landmark global warming standards if they are applied nationwide, which could represent a significant increase in fuel economy. According to the analysis of the companies’ data released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the two major automakers are in a position to meet the California global warming tailpipe standards. This analysis is important because some lawmakers in the House and Senate have proposed imposing a condition on the auto bailout that would grant the California waiver or prohibit the automakers from fighting the waiver in court or in state legislatures.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “The Energy Independence Implications of the Auto Bailout Proposal.”

WHERE: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

WHEN: Tuesday, December 9th, 2008, 10 AM

WHO:
Ms. Joan Claybrook, President, Public Citizen
Mr. Reuben Munger, Chairman and Co-founder, Bright Automotive
Dr. Peter Morici, Professor of International Business, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland
Mr. Geoff Wardle, Director of Advanced Mobility Research, Art Center College of Design
Mr. Richard Curless, Chief Technical Officer, MAG Industrial Automation Systems

# # #

End of Session Report Released, Speaker Pelosi Asks Select Committee to Continue Work

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Select Committee Still Has Work to Do

Thanks Speaker Pelosi for Opportunity to Continue Serving as Chairman, Releases End of Session Report

WASHINGTON (November 21, 2008) – Following an announcement by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) today that she intends to reauthorize the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement:

“I thank Speaker Pelosi for the opportunity to continue serving as Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Our committee has worked on a bipartisan basis to raise the profile of global warming and energy solutions during the last Congress and I look forward to another productive session in the next two years. With a new, climate-friendly administration, we have an historic opportunity to put the American economy on a green road to recovery and finally solve the greatest challenge the planet has ever faced.”

The Select Committee, in conjunction with this announcement, released its end-of-session report today. The report reviews the key findings, recommendations, and activities from the Select Committee during the 110th Congress. The executive summary, with links to the full report, can be found below. For an HTML version of theexecutive summary, please CLICK HERE.

Executive Summary(pdf)

FULL REPORT (By Section):

PART ONE: The Climate & Energy Challenge

PART TWO: Energy & Climate "Win-Win" Solutions

PART THREE: Oversight of Bush Administration

PART FOUR: International Efforts

PART FIVE: Additional Views, Full Hearing & Witness List

COMPLETE REPORT: Please be warned, this is a large file. Slower connections should use the above links

Over the past 18 months, the Select Committee has held more than 50 hearings on a broad array of subjects ranging from the national security, economic, and environmental threats posed by climate change, to advanced vehicle and renewable energy technologies, to policy options for lowering prices at the gasoline pump.

Many hearings were groundbreaking “firsts” for Congress, including:

--   The first Congressional hearing on the national security implications of climate change
--   The first “green jobs” hearing
--   The first hearing with the Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
--   The first hearing on U.S. cities’ efforts to combat climate change
--   The first hearing with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Massachusetts v. EPA
--   The first hearing on the Department of the Interior’s handling of the decision whether to list the polar bear as an endangered species
--   And the first hearing on the voluntary carbon offset market

The Select Committee played a pivotal role in the passage of major energy legislation this Congress. Chairman Markey was the principal House author of the 35 mile per gallon fuel economy standard in the energy bill of December, 2007. The Select Committee held numerous hearings on the major energy proposals from this Congress, focusing on biofuels, energy efficiency, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and many others.

All told, the energy legislation passed during the Select Committee’s term will, by 2030, save twice the amount of oil we currently import from the Persian Gulf, and cut U.S. heat-trapping emissions by a quarter of what is necessary to avert catastrophic global warming. The Select Committee’s final report summarizes the legislation passed this Congress.

“This has been one of the most successful sessions of Congress on energy issues, but there is still much more to be done,” continued Chairman Markey. “We still must pass a Renewable Electricity Standard, we must improve the efficiency of our homes and other buildings, and we absolutely must pass global warming legislation. The Select Committee will work tirelessly to pass all three of these bills, and many others.”

This summer, after chairing dozens of hearings in the Select Committee, and following more than 30 years as a leader in the Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources Committees, Chairman Markey introduced new legislation called iCAP (the Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act, H.R. 6186) that will slash global warming emissions and make America the leader in clean technology solutions. The bill introduces a "Cap and Invest" system, cuts heat-trapping emissions 85 percent by the year 2050, sets up a system for 100 percent auctions and invests money generated from polluters back to consumers and clean technology solutions.

The Select Committee organized or participated in several major Congressional delegations focused on energy security and climate change issues. These include delegations led by Speaker Pelosi to Greenland and the European Union in May 2007 and to India in March 2008, as well as a Select Committee delegation to Brazil in February 2008. In addition, Select Committee staff delegations have traveled to the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia in December
2007, to China to explore cooperative steps on global warming, and to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth Systems Research Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratories in Colorado.

The Select Committee has worked to break new ground in the way Congress communicates with the American public about energy security and climate change issues— principally through its website, which has won the “Golden Dot” Award for the best e-Gov website (presented by the School of Political Management at George Washington University), an Honorable Mention from the Webby Awards, and a Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants. Chairman Markey—by “avatar”—delivered the first international address on climate using virtual world (“Second Life”) technology to the United Nations climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007.

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Markey: DonaEUR(TM)t Bail on Fuel Efficiency in Automaker Bailout

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey: Don’t Bail on Fuel Efficiency in Automaker Bailout

Fuel Efficiency Factory Retooling Provisions in Auto Loans Must Stand to Reform, Revitalize Industry

WASHINGTON (November 20, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the principal House author of 2007’s fuel efficiency standards, decried the potential rollback of fuel efficiency retooling provisions in the deal being proposed to loan automakers billions of dollars. Provisions included in the law Congress passed in 2007 would require new plants built using the money to produce more fuel efficient cars.

“We can’t bail on the fuel efficient vehicles of the future in order to bailout the automakers,” said Markey, who is Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Detroit is suffering today not just from the credit crisis, but from decades of poor product decisions and refusal to increase the fuel economy of our cars, trucks and SUVs. If they truly want to compete again in a global marketplace, they should welcome loans to retool factories to make the plug-in hybrids of the future, not fight these conditions.

“Any financial aid to the auto industry needs to be tied to strong fuel economy requirements and to taxpayer protections that assure this money is not wasted,” Markey continued. “This proposal doesn’t even measure up to the fuel efficiency conditions put on the Chrysler bailout of 1979, which is unacceptable.”

# # #

Markey: Obama YouTube Climate Address is a Breath of Fresh Air

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600

In response to the comments made by President-Elect Barack Obama in his YouTube address on climate change policy, Congressman Ed Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming released the following video response:

Click to Watch

TEXT:

Hi, I am Congressman Ed Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

I just wanted to congratulate President Elect Barack Obama on his speech today which laid out a new direction for the United States in the battle to fight Global Warming.

After 8 years of inaction from the Bush Administration, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear that an Obama White House understands the clean energy steps that must be taken to lift America out of economic turmoil are the same steps we must take to fight the climate crisis.

Investing in clean energy will create new green jobs, putting Americans back to work and breaking our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.

President-Elect Obama also understands the potential clean energy technology brings. President-Elect Obama used YouTube to deliver his important climate message today. In 1995, not a single home in America had broadband access. Today, the next President of the United States was able to reach millions of people around the world using high-speed internet connections. . .and even some on mobile devices!

If, in just a decade’s time, we can successfully engineer an Information Technology Revolution, we can also have a Clean Energy Revolution.

Again, I want thank the President-Elect for his commitment to fighting climate change and I look forward to continuing to work with Congress on a green economic recovery.

Select Committee Report: Last 100 Days Could Rival First 100 for Bush Administration and Environmental Deregulation

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Committee Report: Last 100 Days Could Rival First 100 for Bush Administration and Environmental Deregulation

From Global Warming to Nuclear Safety, Many Rules Could be Changed in Final Days

WASHINGTON (October 31, 2008) – On the scariest day of the year, the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming is releasing a report detailing the frightening possible major regulatory rule changes the Bush administration could make in its final days in energy and environment issues. From global warming to water quality to endangered species to nuclear safety, the report highlights the major issues the public and the media should look out for in the closing days of an administration with a sharp deregulatory bent.

“If you thought the first 100 days of the Bush administration were bad, just wait and see what the last 100 could bring,” said Select Committee Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). Chairman Markey has already sent a letter to the Bush administration voicing his concern over possible changes to the Endangered Species Act. “We already know this administration has a deep, unwavering ideology of deregulation that has negatively affected our environment and our economy. And with scant time left, there’s no reason to think they’ll stop deregulating now.”

In 2001, the Bush administration presaged years of deregulatory, anti-environmental action. In that year, the administration refused to reduce the arsenic levels in drinking water, opened wilderness areas to new roads, and rejected the Kyoto Protocol after promising to cut emissions.

The report is entitled “Past is Prologue: For Energy and the Environment, the Bush Administration’s Last 100 Days Could Rival the First 100” and is available HERE.

# # #

Markey: Exxon Record Profits Put Oil Cos. On Track for $150 Billion in aEUR~08

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Exxon Record Profits Put Oil Cos. On Track for $150 Billion in ‘08

As Economy Slips into Recession, Top 5 Oil Cos. Would Eclipse Last Year’s Record Haul

WASHINGTON (October 30, 2008) – With a new record quarterly profit of $14.83 billion, Exxon Mobil and the other top four oil companies are now on track to reap more than $150 billion in profits in 2008, shattering last year’s record haul. Meanwhile, investments in renewable energy continue to lag with the world’s most profitable company, and as an industry as a whole.

The up-tick in profits for these companies has not been reflected in the health of America’s economy, with figures released today showing a slide in U.S. GDP for the third quarter of 2008, indicating a recession. Profits have increased for the companies, even as prices have slipped.

“Our economy is suffering from many factors, but one of them is the price of oil and our nation’s dependence on it,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Instead of just accepting the $150 billion in oil profits as status quo, our country needs a plan like Senator Obama’s to invest $150 billion in renewable energy alternatives. Because for these oil companies, there are hundreds of billions of reasons why they want to keep the status quo intact.”

Exxon’s prior profit record was $11.68 billion in the second quarter of 2008. Shell Oil announced profits of $8.45 billion in the third quarter, and BP announced $10 billion over the same period, an increase of almost 150 percent compared to the same period in 2007. All told, the five top oil companies in the world—Exxon, BP, Shell, Chevron and Conoco—made $123 billion in 2007. Current profits now put these companies on track to make more than $150 billion in 2008.

The main thrust of Senator Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) plan to achieve American energy independence and create 5 million new jobs is to invest $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy development. Exxon, by contrast, is spending just $10 million a year, a figure they admitted to Chairman Markey at a hearing on April 1 of this year, and in documents released to the Select Committee after the hearing. Chairman Markey also challenged the head of the top five oil companies at the April hearing to invest 10 percent of their profits in renewable energy development, which would roughly equal the yearly commitment Sen. Obama is making, according to current profit projections. All five companies refused.

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Markey: Bush Administration Shifting from Speed Reading to Speed Commenting

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Bush Administration Shifting from Speed Reading to Speed Commenting

Chairman Decries New Twist in Endangered Species Rulemaking, Demands More Time for Public Comment

WASHINGTON (October 28, 2008) – After spending 32 hours of last week reviewing 300,000 public comments on rule changes to the Endangered Species Act, the Bush administration’s Interior Department announced yesterday that it will only allow 10 days of public comment on the Environmental Assessment portion of the proposed rules. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence, sent a second letter to the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today decrying the current state of play on the rulemaking, and demanded more time for public comment on the proposed rules.

“The Bush administration seems intent on setting new records in administrative futility,” said Chairman Markey. “They’ve gone from speed reading to speed commenting, showing no regard for public input in either instance.”

The proposed rules would take expert scientific review out of many ESA processes, and could exempt the effects of global warming pollution on threatened or endangered species. The letter notes: “The proposed rule changes would weaken the ESA by undermining the Section 7 consultation requirements in the Act and excluding global warming emissions as a consideration under the ESA. The FWS notes on page 4 of the draft EA that in the absence of the proposed rule change that ‘[t]here will likely continue to be an increase in the number of section 7 consultations given the emerging challenge of global climate change.’ In other words, the FWS is proposing to deal with an increase in Section 7 consultation requests due to activities that increase global warming emissions by eliminating the requirement.”

The letter is included below:

October 28, 2008

Mr. Dale Hall
Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Director Hall:

Last week I wrote you regarding my concern that the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was short changing the approximately 300,000 public comments on the Agency’s proposed rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by reviewing them in just 4 working days and without the expertise of FWS biologists. The proposed rule changes would weaken the ESA by undermining the Section 7 consultation requirements in the Act and excluding global warming emissions as a consideration under the ESA. The FWS notes on page 4 of the draft EA that in the absence of the proposed rule change that “[t]here will likely continue to be an increase in the number of section 7 consultations given the emerging challenge of global climate change.” In other words, the FWS is proposing to deal with an increase in Section 7 consultation requests due to activities that increase global warming emissions by eliminating the requirement.

Yesterday, you followed that rushed review process with a notice in the Federal Register announcing a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on the environmental impact of the proposed ESA rule changes that provided a mere 10 days for public comment. This is an unacceptably short time period. The public should be given at least 60 days to comment on the draft EA, just as they were given to comment on the proposed rule change.

This proposed regulation, the associated environmental assessment and the public comments on both must receive the proper level of review. Such a hasty review seems certain to ensure that the public will not be properly heard in evaluating this proposed significant change and its environmental impact to one of our nation’s most important environmental laws. Moreover, this truncated public comment periods give the unseemly impression that the Administration may be attempting to rush these rules changes through before it leaves office, regardless of their environmental impact.

In order to assure that these proposed changes to the ESA do no harm, you must immediately extend the comment period for the draft EA to give the public enough time to consider and provide their comments to the Agency. Please respond to this request, and the request in my initial letter, by October 30, 2008 with:
The actions you are taking to ensure that the public is receiving an acceptable opportunity to comment on the draft EA, and
The actions you are taking to ensure that comments are receiving the thorough consideration that they deserve given this proposed major change to the ESA.

Sincerely,
Edward J. Markey
Chairman

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Markey: Times Too Tough for OPEC to Cut Supply

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Chairman Sent Letter to Bush Asking for Political Pressure on Oil Cartel

WASHINGTON (October 24, 2008) – In a prescient letter sent yesterday to President Bush, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) asked the president to use whatever political means he had left to pressure OPEC into not cutting the supply of oil during this tough economic period and as the winter heating season begins. OPEC today announced they will be cutting supply, which could have serious ramifications for millions of Americans already struggling to keep up with bills in the face of job losses and rising expenses.

“During President Bush’s 2000 campaign, he said America should ‘jawbone OPEC’ into increasing supply,” said Rep. Markey. “Unfortunately for American consumers and our economy, it’s clear that when it comes to OPEC, the president’s jawbone is broken.”

The letter to the president is included below:

October 23, 2008

The Honorable George W. Bush
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

News reports indicate that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has scheduled an emergency meeting tomorrow in order to cut petroleum production. OPEC’s current president, Chakib Khelil, was quoted as saying that he expects the cartel to decide in favor of a “significant” production cut at the meeting –as much as 2 million barrels per day. Any increase in energy prices right now would further compound our economic troubles and adversely impact American families. As a result, I am writing to urge you to use every tool at your disposal in order to pressure OPEC to not reduce production.

While oil and gas prices have declined in recent weeks, American consumers and our economy are still feeling the strains of the record prices we saw this summer. Earlier this year, oil hit record highs of nearly $150 per barrel and gas averaged more than $4 per gallon nationwide. Consumers have been spending more on everything from gas to groceries and are in desperate need of relief.

American consumers are also facing an impending home heating crisis this winter. According to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook, “Average household expenditures for all space-heating fuels are projected to be $1,137 this winter (October 1 to March 31), a 15-percent increase over the estimated $986 spent last winter. The largest increases will be in households using heating oil and natural gas.” With consumers already facing home heating costs that will be significantly higher than last year, any additional increase as a result of OPEC cutting production could mean that many families will face choices between purchasing food or purchasing fuel this winter.

Meanwhile, according to the EIA, OPEC member nations have already earned an estimated $821 billion in net oil export earnings through September and could ultimately earn more than $1 trillion in 2008. It would be unconscionable for OPEC to cut production as our economy is reeling and its countries are already seeing profits gush into their pockets.

I strongly urge you to take immediate action to help American consumers and our economy by pressuring OPEC to keep production at current levels at their meeting tomorrow.
Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
Chairman

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Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey to Bush Admin: Don't Rush Endangered Species Process

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Markey to Bush Admin.: Don’t Rush Endangered Species Process

Public Comment Review Process “Reckless”, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (October 23, 2008) – In response to reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is attempting to review 300,000 public comments on changes to Endangered Species Act rules in just four days, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, sent a letter to the director of the U.S. F&WS today asking him to stop this “reckless” process.

The proposed rule changes would undermine the Section 7 consultation requirements in the Act and exclude global warming emissions as a consideration for listing animals like polar bears under ESA, even though global warming has been recognized by the Bush administration as a main cause for listing the bear as threatened under ESA earlier this year.

“Predictably, the Bush administration is trying to ram through anti-environmental laws in its final days in office, and this is yet another example of their agenda. Attempting to read hundreds of thousands of public comments in a matter of hours is odd given that the Bush administration budget has never contained any money for speed reading classes,” said Chairman Markey. “After taking years to make a decision on the polar bear and other Endangered Species Act listings, the Bush administration is now taking hours to completely roll back key protections in this cornerstone of our environmental laws.”

The letter is pasted below.

Mr. Dale Hall
Director
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20240

Dear Director Hall:

I am writing to strongly oppose the Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) reported plan to dramatically shorten the review of public comments submitted on the Agency’s proposed rule changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This proposed regulation and all associated public comments must receive the proper level of review.

According to an article published yesterday by the Associated Press, the director of the FWS Endangered Species Program sent a letter to Fish and Wildlife managers outlining the Administration’s plan to read through the approximately 300,000 public comments on the proposed rule change over the course of four work days this week. To attempt to read through this volume of public comments in such a truncated period of time, including comments submitted by myself and 80 other Members of Congress, seems arbitrary and capricious. Moreover, such a hasty review seems certain to ensure that the public will not be properly heard in evaluating this proposed significant change to one of our nation’s most important environmental laws.

While agencies typically spend months reviewing public comments on proposed regulations, it can only be surmised that the reason for FWS’ desire to drastically speed up this process is in order to finalize this rule change before the end of the current Administration. A change of this magnitude to the ESA should not be done in such a reckless, haphazard fashion. The e-mail sent on October 16, 2008 states that “The team needs to compile the comments, review the[m] (sic) and categorize them and then provide them to the Department for their analysis and preparing responses.” For the FWS biologists with expertise on this issue to not participate in analyzing and responding to the public comments raises significant concerns that the Administration, which has a history of politicizing ESA decisions, will allow politics to again trump science in making this decision.

You must immediately halt the reckless review process that your agency is undertaking and review the public comments on the proposed regulations with proper care. Please respond by October 30, 2008 with the actions you are taking to ensure that thorough consideration of the public comments on this proposed major change to the ESA.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
Chairman

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Select Committee

Markey Welcomes Release of Dingell-Boucher Climate Bill

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

WASHINGTON (October 7, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, praised the release of a discussion draft of climate legislation by Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) as an important step towards the enactment of legislation to combat global warming in the next Congress.

Chairman Markey is the author of iCAP (H.R. 6186, the “Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act”), which would cut global warming emissions 85 percent by the middle of the century, set a price on heat-trapping emissions by auctioning 100 percent of pollution allowances, and re-invest the revenues from polluters back to consumers, clean energy technology development, and other key measures.

Below is the statement of Chairman Markey:

“The American people should be encouraged by the draft legislation released today by Chairman Dingell and Chairman Boucher. This draft recognizes that, to combat global warming and unleash a clean energy revolution, America needs to set long-term targets, protect consumers, and invest in energy efficiency and clean technologies.”

“The draft legislation lays out a range of options for structuring a cap and trade system that are likely to trigger a vigorous and healthy debate about how best to reduce global warming pollution. In the next year, I look forward to working with Chairmen Dingell and Boucher, our Energy and Commerce colleagues, and a new, climate-friendly administration as we put the American economy on a green road to recovery and finally solve the greatest challenge the planet has ever faced.”

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Members Support Principles for Global Warming Legislation

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Rep. Markey: (202) 225-4081
Rep. Waxman: (202) 225-5051
Rep. Inslee: (202) 226-7040

October 2, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC — Today 152 Members of Congress, led by Rep. Waxman, Rep. Markey, and Rep. Inslee, sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi detailing a set of principles to guide Congress as it produces legislation to establish an economy-wide mandatory program to address the threat of global warming.

The principles outlined in the letter lay out a comprehensive approach to tackling the climate crisis. The principles recognize that we must transition to a clean energy economy to avoid dangerous global warming, create green jobs, and boost America’s long-term economic prosperity. The principles emphasize that we must act based on the science and strengthen our response as necessary.

To read the letter CLICK HERE.

For a PDF of the letter CLICK HERE.

EPAaEUR(TM)s New Nuclear Safety Standards Send DOE Back to the Starting Gate

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT: Select Committee, 202.225.4012

EPA’s New Nuclear Safety Standards Send DOE Back to the Starting Gate

Markey Calls for Yucca Mountain Application to be Resubmitted

WASHINGTON (September 30, 2008) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today their public health and safety standards for the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility. This announcement came four months after the Department of Energy (DOE) filed its application for the facility.

“Today’s action by the administration only reinforces how their entire approach to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project has put politics and the financial health of the nuclear industry ahead of science and the health of the public,” said Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Today’s new rules make clear that the Department of Energy jumped prematurely with an answer before the question had been finished. They need to withdraw the application, finish their homework assignment, and resubmit it.”

“The rules on Yucca Mountain are especially critical given that some in Congress, including Senator McCain, are calling for an explosion in nuclear construction that would generate the need for a new Yucca Mountain every 17 to 24 years,” Markey added.

Today's regulations came after EPA's original Yucca regulations were found to be inadequate by the D.C. Circuit Court in 2004. Those regulations failed to set exposure limits at all for the period in which the risk of harmful exposure to humans would be the greatest. The standards issued today establish a dose limit for what constitutes an acceptable level of radiation exposure from the nuclear waste facility for the next million years, the amount of time the facility is expected to emit toxic radiation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission was already evaluating the Yucca application despite the absence of these final standards.

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) called for disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository. The NWPA directed the Department of Energy to develop such a repository. Originally, DOE was considering the suitability of numerous sites for the geologic repository. But in 1987, before determining its suitability, Congress legally barred DOE from considering any site other than the Yucca Mountain site as the potential location for the repository.

While DOE is responsible for developing the application for the repository, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is responsible for developing the regulations that will ensure the safety of any such facility and reviewing the application to determine that the repository design meets those safety standards. In the area of radiation protection, the NRC was directed to adopt the standards that were to be developed by the EPA.

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GAO to Markey: Carbon Sequestration WonaEUR(TM)t Happen Without National Strategy

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

GAO to Markey: Carbon Sequestration Won’t Happen Without National Strategy

Regulation Would Create Incentives, Coordination Severely Lacking Among Agencies, Says Report

WASHINGTON (September 30, 2008) – A Government Accountability Office report released today says climate-fighting carbon sequestration technologies won’t significantly advance until a national strategy to regulate carbon emissions and interagency cooperation measures are established. The report shines a light on the lack of leadership from the Bush administration on global warming and climate-friendly technologies.

“If carbon sequestration technologies are going to get off -- and into -- the ground, we must have national limits on global warming pollution and an administration dedicated to promoting climate-friendly technologies,” said Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, who requested the study. “Solving coal’s climate conundrum is as vital as any challenge we face in battling global warming, and half-measures just won’t cut it.”

To read the GAO Report, please CLICK HERE.

The report says a lack of a national strategy to control heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions has hamstrung efforts to expand CCS technologies, saying it leaves the power sector with “little incentive to reduce their emissions . . . [and] little reason to devise the practical arrangements necessary to implement the reductions.”

It also points to a lack of coordination among agencies involved in developing and regulating CCS infrastructure in the United States, for example with pipeline transportation of carbon dioxide emissions. A national CCS program “would require an elaborate network of interstate CO2 pipelines” that would involve many agencies and jurisdictional issues, the report notes. To date, however, “no federal agency has claimed jurisdiction over siting, rates, or terms of service” for the pipelines, according to the GAO. In addition, the report finds that a lack of clear liability and ownership rules for underground carbon dioxide injection is an obstacle to expansion of CCS technologies, but that the administration has provided little or no leadership in developing such rules.

“The Bush administration can’t hang their hat on this technology when they haven’t even created the hat rack,” said Chairman Markey. “If the Bush administration were running the water department like they run their carbon sequestration programs, we’d all have sinks and no water pipes.”

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HEARING 9/25: Oil Prices Threaten to Leave Families in the Cold this Winter

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR 2 PM, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th, 2008

CONTACT: Select Committee, 202.225.4012

Oil Prices Threaten to Leave Families in the Cold this Winter

Massachusetts Governor to Testify Before Select Committee Hearing on the Future of Home Heating Assistance Program and Consumer Protection Measures

WASHINGTON (September 23, 2008) – The dramatic increase in the price of oil this summer caused consumer havoc at the pump. Now, as the winter months quickly approach, families are facing the cold reality that the cost to heat their homes will skyrocket as well. Home heating oil prices are expected to spike upwards of $4.60 per gallon this winter, a record. That could drive the total heating costs for average families above $4,000.

On Thursday, the Select Committee on Energy Independence will hold a hearing looking into immediate funding concerns of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as well as long term reform measures to help families cope with rising prices. The hearing will feature Governor Deval Patrick from Massachusetts, where 4 out of 5 homes use heating oil or natural gas.

In 2005, 5.3 million households received LIHEAP heating or winter crisis assistance, yet this represented only 15 percent of federally eligible households. Following the largest single day spike in oil prices ever, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and 94 of his Congressional colleagues sent a letter calling for full funding of LIHEAP at $5.1 billion to stave off what could be a disastrous winter for millions of American families. Last year the program only received $2 billion in regular funds. The crisis is not just isolated in cold-weather areas, however.

WHAT:    Select Committee Hearing: “The Future of LIHEAP Funding: Will Families Get the Cold Shoulder this Winter?”

WHERE:    1324 Longworth House Office Building, U.S. Capitol Complex

WHEN:    Thursday September 25, 2008 at 2:00 PM, EST

WHO:
Honorable Deval Patrick, Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Mr. Howard Gruenspecht, Acting Administrator, Energy Information Administration
Mr. Mark Wolfe, Executive Director, National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association
Mr. John Drew, Executive Vice President, Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.

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Markey: American Families Need Full Funding of Heating Assistance Program

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-0412

Markey: American Families Need Full Funding of Heating Assistance Program

With Billions for Bailouts, Families Must Not be Frozen Out this Winter, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (September 23, 2008) – Following the largest single day spike in oil prices ever, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and his colleagues are calling for full funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program at $5.1 billion to stave off what could be a disastrous winter for millions of American families.

“If we are looking to give hundreds of billions in bailouts to Wall Street, providing five billion dollars to ensure American families aren’t frozen out this winter should be a no-brainer,” said Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which will hold a hearing this Thursday on the LIHEAP program and the home heating crisis.

Rep. Markey helped lead an effort to collect signatures on a letter sent late yesterday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and Appropriations Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) requesting that the LIHEAP program receive the full funding level of $5.1 billion this year in any continuing resolution to fund the government. Rep. Markey was joined on the letter by 94 of his colleagues in the House. Reports have indicated the program will receive the full funding level after years of being under-funded. Last year the program only received $2 billion in regular funds.

The letter can be found HERE.

Last week the Bush administration released the last $121 million of LIHEAP “contingency” funds, drying up the emergency funds months before the coldest weather hits the nation.

“Millions of families are already struggling with rising gas and food prices, home payments, and the specter of a troubled economy,” said Rep. Markey. “Now they are seeing some of the highest oil prices in history and wondering ‘how will I keep my family warm this winter?’ For many families this winter, this extra funding will be a big help when they need it the most.”

Home heating oil prices are expected to spike upwards of $4.60 per gallon this winter, a record. That could drive the total heating costs for average families above $4,000.

The crisis is not just isolated in cold-weather areas, however. Energy bills in Phoenix are up 36 percent this year, and millions of families in both warm and cold weather climates could face utility shutoffs this year due to an inability to pay their bills.

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Markey: Speculation Bill Sends Wall Street Cops Back on the Beat

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Speculation Bill Sends Wall Street Cops Back on the Beat

WASHINGTON (September 18, 2008) – Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming issued the following statement on the House passage of the Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act by a vote of 283 to 133:

“Whether it’s the housing market, AIG, or oil traders run amok, Wall Street has lost its direction, and so has our economy. This legislation puts the financial cops back on the beat on Wall Street, which will help bring economic security back to Main Street.

“Just today, we saw how speculation can toy with markets. Oil spiked above $100, and then fell again, as traders moved in massive, collective swings. When speculation in commodities like oil can have very real effects on American consumers at the pump, it is essential that we make the markets fair and transparent.

“Today’s legislation moves America towards a more fair and transparent market system, and will provide relief to families, truckers, airlines and anyone who pumps gas into a tank.”

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Markey: Big OilaEUR(TM)s Role in Interior Department Scandal Must Be Scrutinized -Chevron Responds

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Chevron Responds to Markey Investigation, Raises New Questions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a hearing held this morning to examine recent revelations about ethical failings within the Bush administration’s Department of the Interior, Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA) closely questioned both Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and Earl Devaney, Inspector General of the department and author of the governmental report on the scandal, over the Bush administration’s lax oversight.

“This is a blistering scalding indictment of the Bush administration’s oversight of the Department of Interior,” Rep. Markey lamented during the House Natural Resources committee hearing. “This is something that is a stain on the Department of Interior and its operations.”

In response to Rep. Markey’s questioning, Mr. Devaney recommended that the Department of the Interior’s Ethics Committee initiate an internal investigation into the conduct of the big oil companies involved in this scandal. “I’m charged with oversight over our employees and am satisfied that we are on track. I wish I had the same oversight and authority with outside entities, but I don’t,” Mr. Devaney said.

Late last week, Rep. Markey launched an investigation into Chevron, Shell Oil and Gary Williams, the three companies involved in the scandal from his position as chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Chevron responded today, admitting that employees provided “meals, drinks, and other entertainment” to Minerals Management Service employees. Chevron also concedes that several employers “were unable to arrange interviews” with the investigators on this matter, instead sending “non company counsel” in their stead.

In his testimony today before the Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Devaney agreed with Rep. Markey that “[this investigation] is incomplete because [employees of Shell and Chevron] didn’t make themselves available.” Mr. Devaney went on to say that, “I’ve been doing this for a long time and this isn’t the first time that I’ve been disappointed by decisions made over there… I would have liked a more aggressive approach and I would have liked to see some other people prosecuted here.”

Letters to Shell Oil and Gary Williams remain unanswered, but these discrepancies already raise new questions on the interference from the oil companies and the investigation.

“It takes two to tango, and it appears that employees of Big Oil may have danced over just as many ethical lines as their government counterparts. It is vital that we protect the American taxpayers by rooting out not only the ethical misconduct within the Interior Department, but also ensure that if any employees or executives at oil companies were involved in illegal activities, they also must be held accountable,” concluded Rep. Markey.

The letter to Chevron can be found HERE and the response to Rep. Markey HERE.

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Markey: Energy Bill Will Unleash Renewable Revolution

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Energy Bill Will Unleash Renewable Revolution

Congressman Worked to Protect Georges Bank, Increase LIHEAP Funding

WASHINGTON (September 16, 2008) -- Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today hailed the expected passage of a comprehensive energy measure that will lower costs to consumers and American taxpayers, invest in renewable energy sources to create American jobs, expand domestic energy supply and create greater energy efficiency and conservation. Rep. Markey, as Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, fought to include important provisions for more efficient buildings, plug-in hybrid vehicles, low-income heating assistance, and protections for the important New England fishing region of Georges Bank.

“This is the culmination of a Congress dedicated to strengthening our nation’s energy policy,” said Rep. Markey. “This legislation, along with the energy bill we passed nearly a year ago, will make our buildings, cars, trucks, and appliances more efficient, and unleash a renewable revolution that will reinvigorate our stagnant economy.”

Among its provisions, the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act would roll back Big Oil tax breaks in a time of record oil company profits and require oil companies to pay royalties already owed to taxpayers; invest in wind, solar and natural gas, and 21st century energy sources to create millions of jobs; responsibly open up additional offshore areas for drilling with oil companies footing the bill instead of taxpayers; and release oil from the government’s stockpile to bring down gas prices.

“After eight years of a Bush-Cheney-Big Oil energy plan, it is time for an oil change,” said Rep. Markey today on the House floor in support of the bill. “It’s time to change our dependence on foreign oil and OPEC. It’s time to change from the dirty fossil fuels of the past to the renewable energies of the future. It’s time to change to invest in wind and solar. It’s time to change to start building green to save families money. The Republicans like to say ‘drill, baby drill,’ but for our nation’s energy policy the American public is saying it’s high time we started saying ‘change, baby, change.’”

Rep. Markey also worked to include key provisions for Massachusetts, New England, and the nation in this package. He ensured that Georges Bank would be off-limits to drilling, protecting New England’s important fishing industries; and he pushed for more funding for LIHEAP heating assistance programs; and for an increase in incentives for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which will save consumers money and cut pollution.

Saving Georges Bank is vital to New England’s economy. The greater Northeast region fishery landings are valued at approximately $800 million dockside, of which a large proportion is produced on Georges Bank. New Bedford, MA is by far the most productive fishing port in the United States, in terms of value of catch. The city’s $268 million catch in 2007 was nearly twice the value of the second and third most valuable fishing ports combined. The collective catch of New Bedford, Gloucester, and Provincetown-Chatham -- all of which principally fish Georges Bank -- accounts for 9 percent of the value of the entire U.S. annual catch, or nearly $350 million.

“This bill protects low-income families from painful ‘heat-or-eat’ decisions this winter, encourages the manufacture of the next generation of vehicles, and protects vital areas like Georges Bank from offshore drilling” said Rep. Markey.

The New Direction Congress has taken critical steps to address our nation’s energy independence. Last year, Congress passed and the President signed historic energy legislation with provisions to combat oil market manipulation, increase vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon in 2020 – the first Congressional increase in more than three decades – and promote the use of more affordable American biofuels.

When the emissions savings are combined, the energy bill expected to pass today and last December’s energy legislation will cut U.S. global warming emissions by a third of what scientists say is needed to save the planet, by 2030.

For more information on the Comprehensive American Energy Security & Consumer Protection Act, click here.

Select Committee Hearing 9/18: The Green Road to Economic Recovery

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Going Green to Get Back America’s Greenbacks

As Financial Sector Falters, Select Committee Hearing Explores Sustainable Path for American Economic Recovery

WASHINGTON – As Wall Street and Washington pick up the pieces from a broken financial sector, and families across the Gulf Coast assess the damage from multiple hurricanes, America is asking: how do we recover? How can we strengthen and stimulate our economy, protect our environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil?

Tomorrow Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will explore the substantial role clean energy and climate-friendly policies should play in any economic stimulus and recovery plan. Several reports, including a recent study by the University of Massachusetts and Center for American Progress, say that investments in clean energy, energy efficiency and green buildings could create millions of jobs in America, including hundreds of thousands in the construction sector.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “The Green Road to Economic Recovery.”

WHO:
Mr. Bracken Hendricks, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Dr. Robert Pollin, Co-Director, Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Mr. Fred Redmond, Vice President, United Steelworkers
Mr. Byron Kennard, Executive Director, Center for Small Business and the Environment
Dr. Margo Thorning, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, American Council for Capital Formation

WHERE: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC
and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHEN: 1:30 PM, Thursday, September 18, 2008

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Markey Launches Investigation into Oil CompaniesaEUR(TM) Involvement in Interior Dept. Scandal

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey Launches Investigation into Oil Companies’ Involvement in Interior Dept. Scandal

WASHINGTON (September 15, 2008) – Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) has launched an investigation into the growing scandal involving members of the Bush administration’s Interior Department oil division. Chairman Markey sent letters late Friday to the heads of the oil companies involved in the scandal, probing the companies’ knowledge of the unethical dealings between oil company officials and the regulators.

“Sniffing out the bad actors in the Bush administration’s oil division is important, but we need to be just as vigilant with the companies involved in this crude distortion of government ethics,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “It takes two to tango, and the oil companies appear to have danced over just as many ethical lines as the Bush administration officials.”

The letters were sent to Marvin Odum, President of Shell Oil; David O’Reilly, Chairman and CEO of Chevron; and Ronald Williams, President and CEO of Gary Williams Energy Corporation (Click on names for PDF versions).

In the letters, along with asking for detailed records of lobbying expenditures, the following questions are asked, among others:

--Did any senior executives at the companies have any knowledge, at any point in time, that employees were providing gifts to Interior Department employees or officials in violation of federal law?

--Did any senior executives at the companies direct any employee to seek out inappropriately close relationships with Interior Department employees or officials?

--Were any company funds used directly or on a reimbursable basis to provide prohibited gifts to Interior Department employees?

--Did the oil companies allocate funds in advance for the purchase of gifts for Interior Department or any other Bush administration employees or officials?

“From funding global warming deniers to fighting the expansion of renewable energy, Big Oil has done America no favors,” said Rep. Markey. “In doing many unethical favors for Bush administration officials, and expecting reciprocation when oil is bought and sold, the oil companies are continuing a long-established, disappointing trend.”

# # #

The TEXT of the LETTER is BELOW:

September 12, 2008

Mr. Marvin Odum
President
Shell Oil Company
North America Headquarters
Two Houston Center, Plaza Level I
909 Fannin Street
Houston, Texas 77010

Dear Mr. Odum:

On September 9, 2008, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of the Interior issued the final results of three separate investigations into allegations of misconduct by current and former employees of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), which oversees the leasing and management of our nation’s oil and gas resources. The OIG investigation uncovered multiple instances of misconduct by MMS employees.

According to the OIG reports, nearly one-third of the employees in MMS’ Royalty in Kind (RIK) department “socialized with, and received a wide array of gifts and gratuities from, oil and gas companies with whom RIK was conducting official business” and received gifts “with prodigious frequency.” Given the fact that oil and gas royalties comprise one of the largest non-tax revenue streams for the federal government and that the RIK department oversees the collection of nearly $4 billion of per year rightfully owed to American taxpayers by oil and gas companies, the discovery of these sorts of “textbook example[s] of improperly receiving gifts from prohibited sources” is profoundly troubling.

According to the OIG, employees from Shell were involved in inappropriately close relationships with Interior Department employees, including providing gifts in violation of federal law, in what has the appearance of an attempt to illegally influence the management and oversight of your company’s oil and gas activities and collection of royalty payments owed to the federal government. Therefore, I request that you or your company provide answers to the following questions by close of business on Wednesday, September 17, 2008:

1. Did any senior executives at Shell Oil Company have any knowledge, at any point in time, that Shell Oil Company employees were providing gifts to Interior Department employees or officials in violation of federal law? If so, please identify the name and position held by those senior executives.

2. Did any senior executives at Shell Oil Company direct any Shell employee to establish unprofessional relationships with Interior Department employees or officials? If so, what was the reason for those relationships? Were they in any way in an attempt to influence the management and oversight of Shell Oil Company’s oil and gas activities?

3. Were Shell Oil Company funds used directly or on a reimbursable basis to provide prohibited gifts to Interior Department employees? If so, who within Shell Oil Company authorized the use of such funds and how much was authorized?

4. Did Shell Oil Company allocate funds in advance for the purchase of gifts for Interior Department or any other Bush Administration employees or officials?

5. Please detail Shell Oil Company’s expenditures from 2002 to 2006 on lobbying Interior Department or Bush Administration employees or officials concerning the RIK program.

I look forward to your response. Should you have any questions about this request, please have your staff contact my staff at (202) 225-4012.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
Chairman

cc: Mr. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Ranking Member

American Universities/Students Lack R&D Funds to Meet Global Warming Challenge

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

American Universities Lack R&D Funds to Meet Global Warming Challenge

Best Student Minds Heading Overseas to Find Climate and Clean Energy Programs, Say Top Educators

WASHINGTON DC – In Congressional testimony yesterday, representatives from several of the nation’s leading universities warned that research and development money dedicated to solving the climate crisis was woefully lacking on our college campuses. Even as a record number of students in math, science and technology are seeking curricula that focus on global warming and energy solutions, they are being shut out due to lack of resources.

In turn, other nations such as Portugal and Germany have aggressively invested in clean energy R&D, placing the United States at risk of falling behind in the global race to invent the green technologies of the future.

“These days, the funding of global warming and clean technology research on American campuses isn’t making the grade,” said Congressman Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which hosted the educators yesterday in a hearing. “Instead of opening up classrooms to create the clean energy future we all want, we’re slamming the doors in the faces of our nation’s greatest students.”

Below are excerpts from the administrators and professors from the nation’s leading research universities who testified before the Select Committee:

Dr. Susan Hockfield, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testified:
•   “If we fail to make major strategic investments in energy research now, we will swiftly forfeit the advantage to our competitors, from China and India to Germany and Japan. Other countries have the money and motivation, and they are chasing the technology almost as fast as we are. We must make sure that in the energy technology markets of the future, we have the power to invent, produce and sell, not the obligation to buy.”

•   “The (MIT) students' interest is absolutely deafening, and one of my fears is that if we don't fund the kind of research that will fuel innovation, these very brilliant students will see that a bright future actually lies elsewhere, even despite their passion for solving what I believe is the greatest challenge of our era.”

Dr. Stephen Forrst, VP of Research, University of Michigan, wrote in his testimony:
•   “Many of the young researchers I encounter are eager to join in and devote their entire careers to this grand effort. However, their enthusiasm is tempered by what has been the unpredictable and steadily declining level of support for energy R&D over the last two decades. Simply put, the U.S. has not responded in a manner proportionate to the threat posed by entering an energy-insecure future”

Dr. Daniel Kammen, Professor, University of California-Berkeley, testified:
•   “While investment in research and development is roughly 3 percent of gross domestic product, it is roughly one-tenth that in the energy sector. By contrast, R&D investments in the medical and biotechnology field are roughly 15 percent of sales, almost a staggering 40 times more than in the energy field.

•   “The fact that we see three to five times more jobs per dollar invested in the clean tech energy area -- and I am including energy efficiency that we have not mentioned explicitly here, but it is vital to the equation, this job dividend, green collar jobs, inner city jobs, as well as the high end jobs    is a critical benefit that we can capture. And right now many of those jobs are going to Germany, Norway, Portugal. So we are losing out. In fact, little Portugal just set up a clean energy research investment fund larger than the entire U.S. investment in this area.”

•   “When I came to Berkeley from Princeton in 1998 there were 45 students in the graduate level energy class. We capped the class this semester of 320. And to let you know, I have a huge problem finding qualified teaching assistants because we have so swamped the potential spaces.”

Dr. Jack Fellows, VP, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, testified:
•   “There has been an erosion of key observational and science programs at NASA, NOAA, and NSF at precisely the time when they are most needed.”

For additional information and full testimony from this hearing, please visit the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Hearing 9/10: Investing in the Future - R&D needs to meet America's Energy and Climate Challenges

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500

SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING: Investing in the Future: R&D needs to meet America’s Energy and Climate Challenges

WASHINGTON -- Investment in scientific and technological innovation has been critical to the growth of the U.S. economy. Much of the technology available today to help meet the energy and climate challenges confronting our nation is due to our previous investments in energy and climate research and development (R&D).

Chairman Edward J. Markey and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing entitled, “Investing in the Future: R&D needs to meet America’s Energy and Climate Challenges,” on Wednesday September 10th, at 10:00 AM EST in order to asses the future energy needs required for combating climate change and the necessary continued investment in R&D.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Hearing, Investing in the Future: R&D needs to meet America’s Energy and Climate Challenges

WHEN: Wednesday September 10, 2008, 10:00AM, EST.

WHERE: 2175 Rayburn House Office Building, US Capitol Complex

WHO/WITNESS LIST:

Dr. Susan Hockfield, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Stephen Forrest, Vice President of Research, University of Michigan
Dr. Jack Fellows, Vice President, University Corporation on Atmospheric Research
Dr. Daniel Kammen, Professor, UC-Berkley

Fact Sheet: The Exporting of US Oil Supply by Big Oil

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

DID YOU KNOW:

In 2008, the year when gas hit $4 a gallon, Big Oil actually EXPORTED more U.S. oil to foreign countries than at any other time in history. That’s right. While consumers suffered at the pump, 2.027 million barrels per day of domestically-produced, American oil and petroleum products were shipped overseas in one month alone. That export level amounts to approximately 10 percent of all the oil the United States consumes every day.

Record Breaker:

Big Oil companies, who are projected to make $160 billion in profits this year alone, increased domestic exports to record levels in 2008 – the same year the price of gas has broken $4 a gallon.

Where Has Big Oil Been Sending U.S. Oil Supply?:

Since 2002, Big Oil has been sending American oil and petroleum products to many foreign nations including:

China
Venezuela
Taiwan
France
Mexico
South Korea

Questions Surround Republican Offshore Drilling Agenda:

President Bush, Minority Leader John Boehner and the Republican caucus have promised the American people that drilling off America’s beaches is the answer to the current energy crisis. This despite Bush’s own Department of Energy stating that additional drilling will have an “insignificant” impact on the price at the pump, and not for 7 to 10 years at the earliest.

Meanwhile, speculators -- who are responsible for driving the cost of a barrel of oil to a record $140 per barrel this summer -- blamed the spike in the price of oil on demand pressure from China and India. This raises serious questions about the Republican plan –are they planning to give Big Oil more public lands, just so these profit rich companies can Drill Here, Drill Now, only to send our oil to places like China and Venezuela?

For additional information, and a copy of a letter Cong. Edward Markey sent to President Bush on oil export issue, please CLICK HERE.

Markey to Bush: Keep Our Oil At Home

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey to Bush: Keep Our Oil At Home

U.S. Exporting 9 Times More than Potential Offshore Resources

WASHINGTON (August 19, 2008) – Even as calls to open up large swaths of America’s offshore areas to oil drilling continue, America is setting new records for exports of domestically produced oil and petroleum products. Today Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, sent a letter to the president asking him to explore stopping the exports of U.S. oil to foreign nations.

“Mr. President, keep our oil at home. While American families have been shelling out big bucks at the pump, we’ve been shipping American oil and petroleum products abroad to places like China, Singapore and Venezuela,” said Markey. “If we want to help America become energy independent, we should first look to American oil being shipped to foreign countries.”

According to the letter, the United States’ record export levels this year amounts to nearly 10 percent of all the oil the United States consumes every day. U.S. oil exports increased to 1.806 million barrels a day in May 2008 -- the most recent month for which data is available -- from last year’s average export level of 1.433 million barrels a day of oil and petroleum products. In addition, the United States reached the highest level of oil exports in our nation’s history in February of this year.

These oil exports far exceed projections for oil from offshore drilling. The letter notes that projections from the Department of Energy for offshore drilling say that “at the height of production, in 2030, increased offshore drilling would produce only 200,000 barrels per day – one ninth the amount of oil we currently send to foreign countries every day.” The letter also notes that, at the current export rate, by the time the first barrel of oil could be produced from increased offshore drilling, America would have already exported the equivalent of nearly 40 percent of the oil that is projected to lie beneath protected areas offshore.

“This is yet more proof that there are countless efforts America could make to increase our energy independence that dwarf any results from offshore drilling,” continued Markey. “We should be stopping oil exports and increasing the production of renewable energy and plug-in hybrid vehicles, not depend on Big Oil’s offshore drilling pipeline dream.”

# # #

The letter is available on the Select Committee’s website HERE

Bush Admin. Denies Congressional Access to More Global Warming Documents

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeff Sharp, Select Committee, 202.225.4079

Jessica Schafer, Congressman Markey, 202.225.2836

Bush Admin. Denies Congressional Access to More Global Warming Documents

NHTSA Holding Back Information on California Clean Cars, Fuel Economy Regulations

WASHINGTON (August 8, 2008) – The Bush administration is again denying Congressional access to documents pertaining to important global warming and fuel economy decisions. Chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, the committee seeking the documents, responded today, again asking for documents related to the Department of Transportation’s assertion that California’s rights to issue regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles using Clean Air Act authority are preempted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, even though two Federal courts have ruled otherwise. The chairman again asked for copies of drafts and about which individuals within the administration were involved in the decision to include the assertions in recent proposed fuel economy rules.

This action follows a long process by the Select Committee to gain access to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documents on national global warming emissions regulations from vehicles, which revealed significant political influence on a scientific decision and a complete reversal on the part of many within the administration.

"We have seen how EPA’s national vehicle emissions regulations were twisted by political forces from deep within the White House," said Chairman Markey. "It’s imperative that we now discover if there were similar machinations within the Department of Transportation trying to shoot down California’s right to reduce global warming pollution from vehicles."

Chairman Markey asked in June for documents and information pertaining to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on fuel economy standards. The NPRM was responding to the energy bill passed in December that raised fuel economy standards to at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Chairman Markey asked about the gas price estimates used for creating fuel economy targets, and whether those estimates were high enough to reflect the current and future prices of gas, given the estimates used in the NPRM were below $3 per gallon.

Chairman Markey also asked for information pertaining to California’s rights to proceed with its clean car regulations. The NPRM contained the administration’s view that state regulations to reduce heat-trapping pollution from motor vehicles were preempted by national policy. In subsequent exchanges, when asked for more information on how this decision was reached, and by whom, NHTSA responded that they would not provide any of the documents to the Select Committee because the documents were "pre-decisional." In today's response letter, Chairman Markey notes: "I am not aware of any court that has recognized ‘pre-decisional’ as an adequate basis to withhold documents from a valid Congressional request." The letter further stated that if the agency is relying on a claim of executive privilege to withhold the documents, then that claim should be formally asserted.

Along with a request for the documents themselves, in all forms, Chairman Markey also asks whether any White House or other executive branch officials assisted in drafting NHTSA’s NPRM, and lists of any names, dates of any meetings, conversations, correspondence or any other interactions between NHTSA and other administration officials.

The letters can be found on the Select Committee website and below:

Chairman Markey’s letter calling on NHTSA to stop stonewalling on its views on the California regulations (8.7.08):

http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0141.pdf

Response from NHITSA General Council (7.28.08):

http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0140.pdf

Response from Department of Transportation General Counsel (7.28.08):

http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0142.pdf

Chairman Markey’s original request for information (6.17.08):

http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0143.pdf

Markey: ObamaaEUR(TM)s Energy Plan Has Majority House Support

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Obama’s Energy Plan Has Majority House Support

Republicans Blocking Responsible Drilling, Oil Reserve Use, Renewable Energy Policies

WASHINGTON (August 4, 2008) – The major tenets of an energy plan announced today by Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has the support of a majority of House members, but is being blocked by Republican leadership who have voted against policies to encourage responsible drilling, short-term price relief, and a long-term shift to renewable energy.

“When it comes to energy and global warming policies, Senator Obama gets it. America has an opportunity to finally move beyond oil and towards renewable energy, but Republicans continue to block this shift and only focus on what they can do to help profit-rich oil companies,” said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Senator Obama will be in Boston tonight. “In fact, the House has won a majority of votes on many of Senator Obama’s proposals, only to have the initiatives blocked by Senator McCain, the White House and other allies of Big Oil.”

Senator Obama’s plan included the following initiatives that have won majority support in the House, only to be blocked by Republicans either in the House or Senate:

--“Use It or Lose It” legislation to compel oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres of land and sea they have but on which they are not producing.

--A release of 70 million barrels of light crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and modernizing the system by swapping in heavy crude oil.

--A renewable electricity standard to set a percentage of energy produced by clean energy like wind and solar.

--An extension of tax incentives for renewable energy, plug-in hybrids and other technologies.

“While the House and Senate passed an energy bill in December which will increase the fuel economy of America’s vehicles and the amount of advanced biofuels available for drivers’ fuel tanks, Republicans are continuing to block further measures to help consumers at the pump and lay the groundwork for a long-term shift to clean, renewable energy,” said Chairman Markey.

This fall, the House will push to bring a renewable electricity standard and tax incentive extensions for renewable energy and high-mileage vehicles. Chairman Markey, Speaker Pelosi and other House leaders have committed to push for these important policies.

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Markey: Top Five Oil Cos. On Track for $160 Billion in Profits in 2008

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: Top Five Oil Cos. On Track for $160 Billion in Profits in 2008

Companies Must Stop Protecting Billions in Tax Breaks Meant for Renewables

--UPDATED STAFF REPORT ON BIG OIL PROFITS BELOW--

WASHINGTON (July 31, 2008) – With ExxonMobil’s report of a $11.68 billion haul in the second quarter of 2008, the world’s top five oil companies are now on track for more than $160 billion in profits this year, easily outpacing last year’s $123 billion. And while Americans continue to call for a shift away from expensive fossil fuels and towards renewable energy, the oil companies are protecting billions of dollars in tax breaks that Democrats want to shift to renewable energy and clean fuels.

“Exxon’s profits are excessive. Shell’s profits leave us shellshocked. And BP now stands for Bloated Profits,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “These oil companies cannot continue to earn these profits, spend a pittance on renewable fuels to move America beyond oil, and then block any efforts to shift billions in tax breaks to companies trying to bring about the next generation of clean energy.”

The Select Committee on Energy Independence today released an updated report on the profits from Big Oil and where their money is being spent. The top five oil companies are now on track to hit $160 billion in profits for the year, but much like last year, money from the pockets of American drivers is being spent on stock buybacks more than on research and development of renewable fuels.

The report is available at the Select Committee’s website HERE.

According to the report, Exxon made $40.6 billion in profits in 2007, spent $31.8 billion on stock buybacks, and invested only $10 million dollars in renewable energy resources. This year, Exxon has already spent $16 billion in stock buybacks.

The oil companies have also lobbied against releasing light crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and replacing that oil with heavy crude and against legislation that would compel production on the 68 million acres of leases the oil companies currently own on American land and sea, but are not using.

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Markey: Cheney-Bush to Big Oil: Can We Get You Anything Else??

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4079 / Cong. Markey office, 202-225-2836

Markey: Cheney-Bush to Big Oil: Can We Get You Anything Else??

WASHINGTON (July 30, 2008) – In response to the Interior Department’s announcement today that it would solicit comments to develop a new offshore oil and gas leasing program, which could include areas not currently open to drilling, Rep. Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming issued the following statement:

"The results are in: seven and a half years of the Bush-Cheney energy policy have resulted in $4 gas and a projected $168 billion in profits for their friends in Big Oil this year alone. And today in its final hours, the Bush Administration has formally announced a Going Out of Business Sale of all of our nation's public lands offshore.

“While American families are thinking about the beaches where they would most enjoy their summer vacations, the Bush Administration is asking Big Oil to start thinking about the beaches where they would most like to start drilling. Rather than telling Big Oil to come up with a wish list of new public lands to be opened for drilling, the Bush Administration should join Democrats in Congress in telling Big Oil to drill on the 68 million acres of public land they already hold that they are not using.”

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Select Committee Report Details Fuel Economy Regret

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Committee Report Details Fuel Economy Regret

Analysis Shows Republican-blocked Standards Would Have Reduced Oil Imports 1.5 Million Barrels a Day, Saved Consumers Billions

WASHINGTON (July 29, 2008) – How much would American consumers be saving at the pump and how much less dependent on oil would America be if Congress had passed fuel economy standards years before the 2007 energy bill? Those are the questions a new report by the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming explored, and it serves as a lesson to stay aggressive on the recently-passed fuel economy standards and on fuel-saving policies.

The Select Committee staff report details the oil, consumer and national expenditure savings America would currently be enjoying had Republicans passed a 35 mile per gallon standard as the Democrats did in 2007. The report examines the years 1994, when the Clinton administration began to formulate a new fuel economy proposal, only to be blocked by a new Republican-led Congress from advancing the proposal; and 2001, when the Republican Congress first allowed a vote on a fuel economy proposal, authored by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee.

“I’m proud that Congress finally passed fuel economy standards last December, putting us on a path to break our dependence on imported oil,” said Rep. Markey. “But it’s clear this should have happened much sooner, and Republicans should have serious regret over their years of blocking higher fuel economy standards.”

The full report is available on the Select Committee website HERE.

The report found that had Republicans allowed the same 35 mpg standard to be adopted in 1994 as the Democrats passed in 2007:

--By model year 2008, new cars and light trucks sold would have already had a fleet-wide average of 35 mpg for two years, instead of 2022, as would occur under the current standards.
--In 2008, America would be saving 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, or 547.5 million barrels of oil per year.
--American drivers would be saving $90 billion a year, and the American economy would avoid spending $71.2 billion per year buying oil.
--The average annual consumer savings at the pump per vehicle would be $391, a savings of almost 20 percent from what consumers are currently spending (about $2,375/vehicle).

And if the Republican Congress had adopted the 35 mpg standard in 2001:

--By 2008, we would be in year five of the standards, instead of 2015, as would occur under the current standards.
--America would already be saving 150,000 barrels of oil per day, or 54.75 million barrels of oil per year.
--American drivers would be saving $9 billion, and the American economy would avoid spending $7.12 billion per year buying oil.
--The average annual consumer savings at the pump per vehicle would be $39, with greater savings for new vehicles.

The report serves as a cautionary tale for current efforts to strengthen the path of the current standards by using higher, more realistic gas price assumptions. Under the standards passed last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must require the maximum feasible fuel economy increase – even if the maximum feasible increases result in the 35 mpg standard being met earlier than 2020.

On April 22, 2008, NHTSA issued proposed fuel economy standards for model years 2011-15 which are projected to result in a projected fleetwide average of 31.6 mpg. However, NHTSA drafted its proposed regulations using Energy Information Administration (EIA) assumptions about gas prices that do not match up with current or projected prices. At a time when gasoline prices are at $4 per gallon, NHTSA used EIA’s 2008 forecast for gasoline prices that range from $2.42/gallon in 2016 to $2.51/gallon in 2030.

Using a more realistic, higher gas price assumption would greatly impact the fuel economy feasibility calculation, but NHTSA’s reliance on unrealistic projections have the effect of artificially lowering the calculated “maximum feasible” fuel economy standards. If NHTSA used EIA’s higher gasoline price scenario range of $3.14/gallon in 2016 to $3.74/gallon in 2030, its own analysis showed that technology is available to cost-effectively achieve a much higher fleet-wide fuel economy of nearly 35 mpg in 2015.

On June 11, 2008, EIA Administrator Guy Caruso testified before the Select Committee and agreed that NHTSA should use EIA’s higher gas price scenario in setting fuel economy standards. However, at a June 26, 2008 hearing before the Select Committee, a Department of Transportation witness refused to commit to doing so.

“If there is one lesson in all of this, it’s that when you have a chance to be aggressive on fuel-saving policies, you should be as aggressive as possible,” said Rep. Markey. “We can’t get back the years of inaction on this issue, but looking ahead, we must drive harder towards higher fuel efficiency.”

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Hearing 7/31:Future Power, Select Committee Gives Glimpse Into Energy World of Tomorrow. . .Today

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Future Power: Select Committee Hearing Gives Glimpse Into Energy World of Tomorrow. . .Today

Gore Initiative CEO, “Father of Plug-In Hybrids”, Clean Energy Technology Experts Lay Out Transition to Clean Energy Age

For decades, consumers have been teased with fantastical visions of the future. From the “kitchen of tomorrow” to flying cars, predicting the technological wonders ahead is as American as apple pie made by an automated oven. With gas prices soaring and climate concerns growing, America and the planet don’t have the option to keep the future of energy wrapped within magazine pages or celluloid reels. And the good news about clean energy is that the future is already here.

On Thursday, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will peer into the possibilities of current technologies flourishing into a new clean energy age, and what America and the world must do to advance this era. The CEO of Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection will discuss his ambitious proposal to be carbon-free within a decade, and the “father of plug-in hybrids” and experts in superconductors and other important technologies will offer expertise on current and future technologies that can break our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels, create jobs, save money and save our planet from global warming.

WHAT: Select Committee hearing: “Renewing America’s Future: Energy Visions of Tomorrow, Today.”

WHO:
Ms. Cathy Zoi, Chief Executive Officer, Alliance for Climate Protection
Dr. Andrew Frank, Professor, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California at Davis
Gregory Yurek, Ph.D, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, American Superconductor Corporation
Aristides A. N. Patrinos, Ph.D, President, Synthetic Genomics
Steven Lockard, CEO, TPI Composites

WHEN: 1:30 PM, Thursday, July 31, 2008

WHERE: 2325 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

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Hearing 7/30: WhataEUR(TM)s Cooking with Natural Gas?

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Committee Hearing: What’s Cooking with Natural Gas?

Hearing to Examine Fuel’s Role in Global Warming Solutions

The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing on what role natural gas can play in a climate-friendly energy future. Natural gas plays a critical role in numerous sectors of our economy from home heating to chemical production to electricity generation to transportation fuel. With 3.4 percent of global natural gas reserves, the United States has the fifth largest reserves in the world.

Since a low in 1986, domestic consumption of natural gas has generally increased and its uses have broadened. Natural gas has especially become popular as a cleaner alternative to coal in the electrical utility sector and gasoline and diesel in the transportation sector. As Congress considers energy policies that will increase our energy independence and help solve global warming, understanding the role of natural gas in our economy and how it might contribute to energy policies is critical.

WHAT: Hearing of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming entitled, “What’s Cooking with Gas: the Role of Natural Gas in Energy Independence and Global Warming Solutions.”

WHEN: Wednesday, July 30, 1PM

WHERE: B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC

WHO:
Aubrey McClendon, CEO, Chesapeake Energy
Clay Harris, CEO, Suez LNG North America
David Manning, Executive VP, National Grid
Rich Wells, Vice President Energy, The Dow Chemical Company
John German, Manager Environmental and Energy Analysis, American Honda

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SELECT COMMITTEE TO HOLD NEW ENGLAND GLOBAL WARMING FIELD HEARING

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY, 11 AM, JULY 28, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

SELECT COMMITTEE TO HOLD NEW ENGLAND GLOBAL WARMING FIELD HEARING

(Hartford, CT) – Chairman Ed Markey (MA-07), Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will bring Congress to New England for a special field hearing on the economics of global warming. Please join the members of the Select Committee as they hear from local businesses about how they are leading the way on developing alternative energies and adapting to a new climate change reality.

Climate change will have a direct impact on New England’s businesses and economy, from a changing marketplace to new regulatory constraints. This hearing will examine the current and future business opportunities and challenges that global warming presents. Witnesses will include George David of United Technologies, Dan Esty of Yale University, and John Rice of General Electric.

WHAT: A Select Committee Field Hearing titled; “The Economics of Global Warming:
How Climate Change is Shaping the Way U.S. Companies Do Business.”

WHO:
Congressman Ed Markey (MA-07), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus Members of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming

WITNESSES:
George David, Chairman, United Technologies Corporation Dan Esty, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale University, Director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy an the Center for Business & Environment John Rice, Vice Chairman, General Electrics and CEO, General Electrics Infrastructure

WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2008 at 11:00 am

WHERE: Mark Twain House and Museum
351 Farmington Avenue
Hartford, CT 06112
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Markey: Bush-Cheney Oil Profit Agenda Blocks Consumer Relief

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey: Bush-Cheney Oil Profit Agenda Blocks Consumer Relief

Oil Reserves Vote a Missed Opportunity to Help American People, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (July 24, 2008) – Below is the statement of Rep. Edward J. Markey (-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, and co-author of the Consumer Energy Supply Act of 2008 (H.R. 6578), with Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Tex.), which missed passage by 16 votes today on the House floor (final vote count: 268-157, with all Democrats voting in the affirmative).

“When it comes to helping consumers at the pump, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and the Republican allies of Big Oil never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

“Today’s vote featured all Democrats and nearly 40 enlightened Republicans voting for immediate consumer relief, but 157 Republicans still sided with the oil profit agenda of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

“Democrats are pushing for near-term price relief and a long-term shift towards renewable energy and clean energy technologies to shift our economy away from expensive and dirty fossil fuels. Today’s vote will not deter Democrats, and forward-thinking Republicans, from pushing a new, American clean energy future.”

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Hearing 7/23: Deploying Oil From Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 2008

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Committee to Hold Hearing on Deploying Oil From Strategic Petroleum Reserve

On Wednesday, July 23, 2008, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing on how releasing oil from America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve can bring immediate relief to high oil and gas prices. The past three presidents, including President George W. Bush, have successfully used the SPR to reduce oil prices during times of crisis.

WHAT: Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming hearing, “Immediate Relief from High Oil Prices: Deploying the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.”

WHEN: 9:15 AM, Wednesday, July 23, 2008

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHO:
Mr. C. Kyle Simpson, Policy Director, Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck
Dr. Joe Romm, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
James May, President and CEO, Air Transport Association of America (invited)

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Select Committee Investigation: Oil Industry Behind White House Switch on Global Warming

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eben Burnham-Snyder, Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Committee Investigation: Oil Industry Behind White House Switch on Global Warming

President’s Chief of Staff Office, Cabinet Officials, Electric Utility Industry Originally Agreed to Regulation Of Emissions from Vehicles, Power Plants

WASHINGTON (July 18, 2008) – An investigation by the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming has found that members of government at the highest levels, including the office of President George W. Bush’s Chief of Staff and numerous heads of Cabinet departments, had decided to use the Clean Air Act to regulate global warming emissions not only from vehicles, but also from power plants, refineries, and other so-called stationary sources – but reversed their decision in the face of strong opposition from ExxonMobil and others within the oil industry, as well as from at least one senior adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney.

"This is the dysfunctions and motivations of the Bush administration laid bare," said Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee. "The fact that they can, with near unanimity, completely switch positions on global warming to please the oil industry is shocking, and yet disappointingly predictable."

The investigation by the Select Committee is based on an on-the-record interview with a former high-ranking EPA official, Jason Burnett, confidential discussions with other EPA staff, and review of EPA documents obtained in response to a Select Committee subpoena.

The full investigative report and transcript of the interview with Mr. Burnett is available on the Select Committee website here:

http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0110.pdf (report)

http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0109.pdf (transcript)

The report reveals the following major findings, among others:

--President Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Joel Kaplan and numerous heads of cabinet agencies --including Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, Office of Management and Budget’s Susan E. Dudley, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman James L. Connaughton, among others -- and White House offices endorsed EPA’s finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public welfare, and EPA’s proposals that greenhouse gas emissions from both vehicles and stationary sources including power plants and refineries should be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

-- White House Deputy Chief of Staff Kaplan personally approved EPA’s plan to go forward with a positive endangerment finding, which would necessitate the regulation of greenhouse gas regulations for motor vehicles and fuels, as well as trigger regulation of stationary source emissions under the Clean Air Act.

--While electric utility representatives, including the Edison Electric Institute (which represents the nation’s major investor-owned utilities), agreed that it would be best for EPA to proceed with regulation of both vehicles and stationary sources using Clean Air Act authority, oil industry representatives from ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, and the National Petrochemicals and Refiners Association, adopted a "not on my watch" approach – arguing that such regulations would tarnish President Bush’s conservative anti-regulatory legacy, and should be delayed until the next President took office.

--Doing the oil industry’s bidding, the Bush administration reversed course on regulating heat-trapping emissions – opting to do nothing and leave it to the next president to respond to the serious environmental threat of global warming. This decision was made at the very highest level within the White House. The winning argument against regulatory action had the support of the Office of Vice President Cheney, including Vice President Cheney’s energy adviser, F. Chase Hutto III.

--Most of the cabinet secretaries and heads of White House offices who recently wrote letters opposing use of the Clean Air Act to regulate global warming emissions – which were appended to the release of EPA’s July 11, 2008 "Advance Notice of Proposed Regulation" – had previously supported regulation of both vehicles and stationary sources under the act.

The report follows months of action by Chairman Markey and the Select Committee to unearth decisions and findings on global warming within the Bush administration. Starting in January of 2008, Chairman Markey requested documents from Administrator Johnson, leading to a lengthy subpoena process which resulted in the Select Committee achieving exclusive access to December 2007 EPA global warming findings on regulating emissions that were eventually scuttled by the White House.

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Markey: GoreaEUR(TM)s Climate Challenge Deserves Strong Answer from Congress

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey: Gore’s Climate Challenge Deserves Strong Answer from Congress

Renewable Revolution Waiting in Wings, Says Chairman

WASHINGTON (July 17, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, today applauded Vice President Al Gore for his call to reform America’s electricity sector and bring fairness and sanity back to America’s energy system.

Chairman Markey is the author of the Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act, or iCAP, which has the highest targets—85 percent reductions in global warming emissions by 2050—of any Congressional proposal, including reductions from 100 percent of America’s electricity sector. The bill also reflects Vice President Gore’s call for fairness through a cap-and-invest system that helps low- and middle-income Americans and fossil fuel workers and industries equitably transition to a clean energy future.

Below is the statement of Chairman Markey:

“Vice President Gore’s call today reflects not just the urgency of global warming, but the pent up renewable energy revolution that is waiting in the wings, ready to be unleashed. At a time when fossil fuels are dragging down our economy, we should be looking to free fuels like the wind and the sun to power our economy, and we should be moving swiftly to bring these promising energy sources to the entire world.

“Congress must take this clarion call from our nation’s climate sage and act, swiftly and fairly. Climate legislation can grow our economy, assist low and middle income families and workers, and transition us to a stable, clean energy future, but we are running out of time.

“It has been more than two years since the release of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, and we have still not answered the call to save our planet and save our economy. We cannot go another two years, or even one year, without passing legislation to significantly cut global warming emissions and unleash a renewable energy future.”

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Markey: President DoesnaEUR(TM)t Think WeaEUR(TM)re In an Oil Emergency??

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: President Doesn’t Think We’re In an Oil Emergency??

Record Inflation, $4 Gasoline, and Still the President Opposes Using Strategic Petroleum Reserve

WASHINGTON (July 15, 2008) – During President Bush’s news conference today, he was asked about the use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to release oil into the marketplace and bring down the price at the pump. He responded by saying “ [The reserve] is for emergencies . . .” indicating that he has no intention of using any of the 700 million barrels of oil currently residing in the SPR.

“The president is once again demonstrating that he is a leader with blinders on,” said Rep. Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Four dollar gasoline, bogged down in a war in Iraq, the economy entering a recession, the stock market down more than 15 percent since January, the housing market in crisis, banks failing, the highest inflation in almost 30 years, and he still doesn’t think we’re in an emergency?”

Chairman Markey yesterday announced he is finalizing a bill that will force the president to deploy oil from the reserve at an average rate of 500,000 barrels a day of light sweet crude oil for approximately six months. The bill would then swap in cheaper heavy crude oil to the reserves, replenishing the SPR, using the additional money raised from the swap to fund low-income energy assistance and renewable energy development.

Today at a press conference with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chairman Markey, three leading economists -- former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former Council of Economic Adviser Alan Binder and renowned economist Allen Sinai -- endorsed the use of the SPR and a ‘swap’ of oil as proposed by Chairman Markey as a way to address oil prices.

Since the SPR was established, multiple presidents, including the current President Bush after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, have released oil from the SPR to bring down the price of oil. Earlier this year, Chairman Markey and other Democratic leaders pushed a successful bi-partisan effort to stop the president from continuing to fill the SPR at a rate of 70,000 barrels a day, a move the president opposed before a veto-proof majority was won on the measure.

Democratic leaders are pushing for immediate relief by releasing oil from the SPR, and long-term solutions through increased fuel economy standards and renewable fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which the Democrats passed in December. Democrats are also pushing for more plug-in hybrid vehicles and renewable energy to break our dependence on oil and fossil fuels.

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MARKEY: BushaEUR"In Big Oil We Trust

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

MARKEY: Bush—In Big Oil We Trust

WASHINGTON (July 11, 2008) -- In response to comments made by President George Bush this morning on the energy and environmental crisis facing the nation, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released the following statement:

“With millions of families hurting at the pump, President Bush continues to tell the American people to put their trust in Big Oil and hope things get better decades from now. He refuses to use the 700 million barrel Strategic Petroleum Reserve that could immediately help consumers, yet continues to sell the oil companies’ drilling proposal as if he worked in their PR department.

“The Bush administration’s own energy experts say that if Congress allowed drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines today, we could not produce a single drop of oil or gas there for at least 10 years, and we would not reach peak production until 2030. And even then, the additional production would have no significant impact on prices. Despite these facts, the President continues to try to fool the American public into believing that drilling in these areas will magically drive down prices at the pump this summer. This is a complete and total fraud.

“While continuing his crusade to help Big Oil exploit America’s beaches and pristine coastlines for offshore drilling, the president still has yet to answer why oil companies are not drilling now on the 68 million acres of land on which they currently have access. Bush continues to threaten a veto of any renewable energy legislation that will provide domestic energy for every American faster and cheaper than his beach-side drilling schemes.

“This summer, Democrats in Congress have pushed an immediate energy relief package that includes releasing millions of barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve and cracking down on rampant oil market speculators. We will continue to push for long-term renewable solutions and immediate gas price relief .”

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Markey: On Global Warming Decision, White House Hacks Slash While Planet Burns

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Markey: On Global Warming Decision, White House Hacks Slash While Planet Burns

Today’s Climate Document A Shadow of Previous Drafts Reviewed by Select Committee

Timeline and Comparison Chart Provided by Select Committee Below

WASHINGTON (July 11, 2008) – In a shameful display of political interference with potential regulation of global warming pollution, the Bush administration has watered down findings on global warming in a rulemaking notice released today by the Environmental Protection Agency. The so-called Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released today, a response to last year’s Supreme Court’s decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, pales in comparison to earlier drafts, including a draft of findings from December of 2007 that was reviewed by staff of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. A draft of the ANPR from May 2008 was leaked and widely examined.

“Today’s sanitized and censored global warming proposal is a shadow of what the scientific experts say is needed to save the planet,” said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee, which was the only committee to access all drafts of the documents. “The White House has taken an earnest attempt by their own climate experts to respond to the Supreme Court’s mandate to address global warming pollution, and turned it into a Frankenstein’s monster.”

“On global warming, the White House uses the slash-and-burn technique. They slash any meaningful statements or action on global warming, and allow the planet to burn,” continued Rep. Markey.

A full timeline of the ANPR process, including the Select Committee’s process to gain access to the December drafts, and a chart comparing key portions of the various drafts of the document, is available below this release.

Today’s proposal also includes an unprecedented airing of grievances by the head of the Office of Management and Budget, Susan Dudley, and other cabinet officials, sharply criticizing the very exploration of regulatory options EPA is issuing.

“This is Bush administration dysfunction on full display,” said Rep. Markey.

The proposal released today scrubs much of the significant language and decisions on global warming from the December draft findings. The December draft showed that, among other findings: EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson determined that man-made global warming is unequivocal, the evidence is both compelling and robust, and the administration must act to prevent harm rather than wait for harm to occur before acting; that global warming could harm human welfare (the so-called “endangerment finding”); and that fuel economy standards could be much higher.

“This ANPR is really the Administration’s Notice of Prior Result – the failure of President Bush to regulate global warming pollution. Even when the supreme court of climate science, the IPCC, and the actual Supreme Court agree that carbon dioxide has serious consequences for America, the president is unwilling to do his duty to protect the nation,” continued Rep. Markey.

The regulations today were created in response to the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which directed the administration to make a determination on the danger posed by global warming and to propose regulations under the Clean Air Act for reducing global warming emissions from motor vehicles and fuels.

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The Bush Administration’s Evolution on Massachusetts v EPA: From Progress to Politization

Overview

On April 2, 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles fall under the authority of EPA and the Clean Air Act, and directed EPA to determine whether they endanger public health or welfare (the so-called endangerment finding), and, if so, to regulate them . While EPA initially began to respond to the Supreme Court’s charge and formulated a positive endangerment finding and drafted proposed regulations in December 2007, the White House ultimately scuttled the effort in favor of an “Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (ANPR), released on July 11, 2008 (after a May 30, 2008 version was leaked). The July 11 ANPR does not contain EPA’s finding of endangerment and regulatory recommendations, and guarantees that President Bush will leave office without acting on the Supreme Court’s charge. An analysis and timeline detailing the evolution of the EPA’s response to the Supreme Court decision is included in this document.

In addition, the July 11 ANPR demonstrates what can only be described as a bizarre and dysfunctional policy-making process — highlighting the deep conflicts within the Bush Administration on how best to respond to climate change. While all three drafts of the EPA’s response to the Massachusetts v. EPA decision (December 2007, May 30, 2008 and July 11, 2008) clearly signal that EPA legal and scientific personnel have concluded that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public welfare and therefore can and must be regulated under the Clean Air Act, the final ANPR also contains political statements to the contrary made by high-level White House officials and Bush Administration cabinet members, as exemplified below:

Susan E. Dudley, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, White House Office of Management and Budget: “The issues raised during interagency review are so significant that we have been unable to reach interagency consensus in a timely way, and as a result, this staff draft cannot be considered Administration policy or representative of the views of the Administration…. [T]he Clean Air Act is a deeply flawed and unsuitable vehicle for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Interagency reviewers concluded upon reading the draft that trying to address greenhouse gas emissions through the existing provisions of the Clean Air Act will not only harm the U.S. economy, but will fail to provide an effective response to the global challenge of climate change.”
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson: “One point is clear: the potential regulation of greenhouse gases under any portion of the Clean Air Act could result in an unprecedented expansion of EPA authority that would have a profound effect on virtually every sector of the economy and touch every household in the land…. I believe the ANPR demonstrates the Clean Air Act, an outdated law originally enacted to control regional pollutants that cause direct health effects, is ill-suited for the task of regulating global greenhouse gases. Based on the analysis to date, pursuing this course of action would inevitably result in a very complicated, time-consuming and, likely, convoluted set of regulations. These rules would largely pre-empt or overlay existing programs that help control greenhouse gas emissions and would be relatively ineffective at reducing greenhouse gas concentrations given the potentially damaging effect on jobs and the U.S. economy.”
Edward T. Schafer, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Mary E. Peters, Secretary, Department of Transportation, Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary, Department of Energy: “[T]he Clean Air Act is fundamentally ill-suited to the effective regulation of GHG emissions.”
Edward P. Lazear, Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisors, John H. Marburger III, Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy: “First, the Clean Air Act would result in excessive regulation… Second, the Clean Air Act may be inadequate…. Third, regulation of GHG through the Clean Air Act will prove inordinately burdensome….Fourth, the Clean Air Act entails redundancy… Finally, any GHG regulation imposed under the Clean Air Act is almost certain to fail…. We believe that the Clean Air Act is not the appropriate statutory framework for dealing with climate change. The Clean Air Act was never intended to address issues with the global complexity of GHG emissions.”

Both the May 30, 2008 leaked draft ANPR and the draft ANPR released by EPA on July 11, 2008 contain a remarkably broad and open discussion of potential options for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, such as power plants, refineries, and cement plants. This discussion provides an evenhanded treatment of the pros and cons of regulation under various sections of the Clean Air Act. While acknowledging potential legal hurdles, the drafts include extensive discussion of options for overcoming such hurdles. They also include extensive discussion of technologies and policy options for increasing flexibility and reducing costs, including the use of market-based cap-and-trade mechanisms. Finally, both drafts make reference to a “technical support document” appendix that analyzes the options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from specific source categories (such as power plants) – a precursor to moving forward with regulations targeting such categories.

However, in keeping with the White House’s view that addressing global warming pollution under the Clean Air Act is unworkable and too costly, Administrator Johnson’s introduction to the July 11, 2008 ANPR, together with the appended letters from OMB OIRA Administrator Susan Dudley and other agency heads, sharply disavow the Agency’s analysis in the December 2007, May 30 and July 11 documents, and instead amplify remarks made by President Bush on April 16, 2008 that the Clean Air Act was “never meant to regulate global climate change” and that using it to do so could “have crippling effects on our entire economy”.

The Endangerment Finding and Proposed Vehicle Regulations

After the Massachusetts v. EPA decision, EPA engaged in a lengthy and laborious inter-agency process resulting in its conclusion that greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles do endanger public welfare as well as an aggressive regulatory framework to reduce those emissions.

What follows is a comparison of three versions of EPA’s analysis related to its specific response to Massachusetts v. EPA: The proposed endangerment finding and greenhouse gas motor vehicle regulations approved by Stephen Johnson in December 2007, the May 30 2008 leaked draft ANPR that was submitted by EPA to OMB, and the final version of the July 11 2008 ANPR released by EPA. In addition, a timeline of events that led to today’s ANPR release is also included.

Other than the Bush Administration, only the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming has had access to all of these documents.

This comparison demonstrates that EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson determined – consistent with the views of his scientific and technical advisors – that greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous and that motor vehicle emissions should be regulated by EPA, but that the Bush Administration ultimately refused to allow these steps to be taken. Moreover, each draft of the documents that ultimately were folded into the July 11, 2008 ANPR contained fewer recommendations, weaker conclusions and less extensive analysis such that the final, publicly released version says almost nothing whatsoever.

Topic	December 2007 documents submitted to OMB	May 30 2008 draft ANPR submitted to OMB	July 11 ANPR released by EPA
Draft regulatory proposal?	YES, for cars and light trucks	NO	NO
Endangerment finding made?	YES – greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles endanger public welfare.	NO, EPA asks for comment on whether science supports endangerment, and what the scope of the finding should be if it is made	NO – Invites comment on question of whether greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles of fuels endanger public health or welfare.
Scientific basis for endangerment included?	YES – Some benefits of climate change may exist, but these are said not to undermine the positive endangerment finding, which was based on all evidence for risks and adverse impacts.	Some, and reference to technical appendix. “Some elements of human health, society and the environment may benefit from climate change (eg. Short-term increases in agricultural yields, less cold-related mortality). We seek comment on how the potential for some benefits should be viewed against the full weight of evidence showing numerous risks and the potential for adverse impacts.”	Similar to May 2008 draft
Are regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles proposed?	YES	NO, but gives detailed consideration of how Clean Air Act could be used to develop such regulations, using analysis developed for the December 2007 documents.	NO, states that EPA has not made a determination on what sort of regulations would be appropriate, but includes some options based on May 2008 draft
Stringency of Proposed regulations	35 mpg by 2018 car and light truck average, and using a higher gas price led to 43.3 mpg for cars by 2018 of 30.6 mpg for light trucks by 2017.	N/A 35 mpg by 2018 car and light truck average cited as feasible but not proposed. Possible standards for higher gas price scenario were removed.	Similar to May 30 draft
Discussion of impact higher oil prices might have on stringency?	YES. All gasoline price estimates used were from EIA’s 2007 projections, and the 2007 high price projections ($3.20/gallon in 2030) were used to calculate 43.3 mpg for cars in 2018 and 30.6 mpg in 2017 for light trucks. Expectation that final regulation would be based on EIA’s 2008 numbers.	YES, discussion updates gasoline price to reflect current prices of $3.50/gallon Using higher gas price said to increase standards and dramatically increase consumer benefits to up to $2 trillion in 2040, but results of stringency calculation on actual standards have been removed.	All analysis has been removed.
Discussion of options for regulation of stationary source greenhouse gas emissions	N/A – Supreme Court decision did not relate to stationary sources.	YES – broad and open discussion of potential options for regulating emissions from stationary sources like power plants, e.g. through performance standards for individual sources or market-based cap-and-trade systems	Similar to May 2008, but conclusions disavowed by introductory statements by EPA Administrator Johnson and other Bush Administration officials

A LANDMARK GLOBAL WARMING DECISION AT THE SUPREME COURT, AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S BEGINS TO RESPOND

April 2, 2007: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the State of Massachusetts in Massachusetts v EPA, finding that:

Greenhouse gases are air pollutants that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act.
EPA's excuses for refusing to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles were all inadequate.
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA must determine whether these emissions cause, or contribute to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare, a determination often referred to as an 'endangerment finding,' and
If the EPA does make a positive endangerment finding, it must regulate greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.

May 14, 2007: President Bush directed EPA, along with other agencies, to prepare a regulatory response to the Supreme Court decision, to publish the proposal by the end of 2007 and to complete it by the end of 2008.

May – December 2007: EPA staff worked to develop both a positive endangerment finding and aggressive regulations to ensure that the fleet of cars and light trucks achieve the equivalent of 35 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2018.

July 22, 2007: EPA Administrator Johnson:“[I]n May, the President directed us to move ahead and take the first regulatory step to address greenhouse gas emissions from cars. We’re working across agencies to develop a proposed regulation under the Clean Air Act by the end of this year, with final rules due out by the end of next year.”

November 8, 2007: EPA Administrator Johnson: “In addition, since the Supreme Court decision, we have announced that we are developing a proposed regulation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources. That is the first time in our Nation's history, and I have committed to members of Congress and to the President that we will have that proposed regulation out for public notice and comment beginning by the end of this year and to work toward a final rule by the end of next year.”

THE WHITE HOUSE BEGINS TO TRY TO STOP EPA’S EFFORTS

December 3, 2007: Director of the National Economic Council Al Hubbard sends a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Congress’ pending completion of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), stating that “Unfortunately, while assigning new requirements to the Department of Transportation, the proposed legislation leaves ambiguous EPA’s role in CAFE regulations, and likely creates substantial amounts of regulatory uncertainty and confusion. The failure to clearly identify the relative roles of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation in national fuel economy regulations could greatly undermine our shared objective of reducing gasoline consumption in the United States. Legislation should clarify that there should be consultation between the agencies, while clearly establishing a single national fuel economy standard.

Early December, 2007: The positive endangerment finding and vehicle regulations were approved by EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. The endangerment finding was submitted by EPA to the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the draft vehicle regulations were submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for review.

December 6, 2007: The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) submitted a Statement of Administration Policy on EISA, stating as part of the veto threat that “Unfortunately, H.R. 6 leaves ambiguous the role of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in regulating vehicle fuel economy, and as a result would likely create substantial regulatory uncertainty, confusion, and duplication of efforts. The bill could also delay effective implementation of new fuel economy requirements due to inevitable litigation. The double regulation that would result from this failure to clearly identify the relative roles of EPA and DOT in national fuel economy regulations could greatly undermine our shared objective of rapidly reducing gasoline consumption. The bill needs to clarify one agency as the sole entity, after consultation with other affected agencies, to be responsible for a single national regulatory standard for both fuel economy and tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.”

December 13, 2007: The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) submitted a Statement of Administration Policy on EISA, stating as part of the veto threat that “the Administration compliments the Senate for giving the Department of Transportation (DOT) the authority to establish a new CAFE standard, which would both improve fuel economy and reduce tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions. The bill should clarify, however, that DOT should establish this single national regulatory standard, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, and that neither agency should add additional layers of regulation.”

December 19, 2007: The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) was signed into law, requiring NHTSA to promulgate regulations to ensure that the car and light truck fleet achieve a fuel economy average of at least 35 mpg by 2020. Congress included a provision in EISA expressly rejecting the White House requests to remove EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases from motor vehicles.

AND THEN, ALL WORK ON THE EPA REGULATORY EFFORTS STOPPED

January, 2008: White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman James Connaughton said that the Administration was studying “the need for further regulations and additional policies on heat-trapping greenhouse gases from automobiles and industrial emitters following passage last month of a new fuel economy standard.”

February 27, 2008: A press report indicated that “EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson says he is ‘taking a step back’ to analyze a slew of greenhouse gas (GHG) litigation, permits and petitions facing the agency in order to decide the best way to proceed given that taking one action under the Clean Air Act can impact a host of other provisions in the statute. Johnson also hedged on whether the agency will issue a long-awaited endangerment finding on the risks posed by GHG emissions, a possible retreat from his statement to the Senate environment committee last month that the agency was planning to issue the finding.”

March 13, 2008: At a hearing of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said “that it is very evident that as one looks at the Clean Air Act, there are many interconnections, and a decision on one part of the Clean Air Act could have significant consequences both in how greenhouse gas is regulated as well as other unintended consequences, perhaps such as significant harm.”

March 27, 2008: EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson sent a letter to Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming Chairman Edward J. Markey and Ranking member James Sensenbrenner informing them that EPA had decided to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) later in the spring which would “present and request comment on the best available science including specific and quantifiable effects of greenhouse gases relevant to making an endangerment finding and the implications of this finding with regard to the regulation of both mobile and stationary sources”, including the Agency’s response to Massachusetts v U.S. EPA. After reviewing the comments submitted in response to the ANPR, EPA “will then consider how to best respond to the Supreme Court decision and its implications under the Clean Air Act.”

April 2, 2008: The Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming voted unanimously to authorize the Chairman to issue a subpoena to Administrator Johnson for the endangerment finding and greenhouse gas motor vehicle regulations prepared by EPA in its response to Massachusetts v EPA. On the same day, at a Select Committee hearing, Robert Meyers, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator of the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, indicated in response to a question that a formal endangerment finding or regulatory proposal would normally not be included in an ANPR, but would rather be included in a subsequent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would be issued after the ANPR responses were received and analyzed. This demonstrated the high probability that the Bush Administration would leave all regulatory decisions related to the response to Massachusetts v EPA to the next President. The subpoena for the December 2007 documents was issued the following day.

April 16, 2008: President Bush said in a speech that “the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act were never meant to regulate global climate change. For example, under a Supreme Court decision last year, the Clean Air Act could be applied to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. If these laws are stretched beyond their original intent, they could override the programs Congress just adopted, and force the government to regulate more than just power plant emissions. They could also force the government to regulate smaller users and producers of energy from schools and stores to hospitals and apartment buildings. This would make the federal government act like a local planning and zoning board, and it would have crippling effects on our entire economy. Decisions with such far-reaching impact should not be left to unelected regulators and judges. Such decisions should be debated openly and made by the elected representatives of the people they affect. The American people deserve an honest assessment of the costs, benefits and feasibility of any proposed solution.”

March –July 2008: EPA staff worked to prepare the ANPR.

May 30, 2008: A draft of the ANPR was submitted by EPA to OMB, and a copy thereof was obtained by the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. It did not propose either an endangerment finding or vehicle greenhouse gas regulations for motor vehicles, but did contain some of the analysis used to formulate EPA’s December 2007 endangerment finding and regulatory response to Massachusetts v EPA.

June 20, 2008: The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming obtained access to the EPA’s December 2007 endangerment finding and regulatory response to Massachusetts v EPA via an agreement reached with the White House and EPA.

June 24, 2008: Chairman Markey sent a letter to President Bush detailing the Select Committee staff’s review of the December 2007 documents and indicated that any “legal and scientific-based” ANPR released by EPA must include the key recommendations of those documents. “To do less would be a blatant denial of the overwhelming scientific evidence indicating that greenhouse gas emissions are dangerous, would overrule the scientific and legal recommendations of the EPA, and would further undercut your Administration’s credibility on matters related to climate change both here and in the rest of the world.”

July 11, 2008: The ANPR is released by EPA.

Markey: Aggressively Using Strategic Petroleum Reserve Will Bring Immediate Consumer Relief

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chairman Ed Markey, 202-225-4081

Markey: Aggressively Using Strategic Petroleum Reserve Will Bring Immediate Consumer Relief

Chairman Joins Speaker Pelosi, Others Calling on President Bush to Deploy “Consumer Price Weapon”

WASHINGTON (July 10, 2008) – Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders in calling on the president to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).

“We have millions of barrels of oil we could release into the market today, without drilling one single well and giving away our coastline to Big Oil,” said Rep. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “Congress has already instructed the president to stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Now he must use this weapon against high gas prices.”

Rep. Markey was a principal co-sponsor of the House legislation that in May forced the president to stop filling the SPR at a rate of 70,000 barrels a day. He has previously called on the president to release oil from the SPR.

He has also called for the exchange in the SPR of light sweet crude, which is the most desirable source material to refine into gasoline and diesel fuels, for heavy crude oil, which will be needed for home heating oil later in the year. Because heavy crude is cheaper than light sweet crude, the bill would also raise revenues that can be re-directed to renewable energy and low-income fuel assistance funds.

The SPR currently holds well over 700 million barrels of oil, and is at more than 97 percent capacity. The president has broad authority to deploy oil from the reserves during times of national emergencies, and previous actions to use the SPR by the current president and past presidents have reduced the price of oil.

The high price of gasoline has consistently polled as the number one concern of Americans today and has become a serious economic hindrance on overall economic growth and on American families’ budgets.

# # #

Select Cmte. to Hold Hearing on Extreme Weather and Global Warming

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, JULY 10th, 1:30 PM

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

Select Cmte. to Hold Hearing on Extreme Weather and Global Warming

California Wildfires, Midwest Floods, Other Events Prompt Question: What is Warming’s Link to Wild Weather?

In the aftermath of severe storms across America and throughout the world, and with Bertha strengthening to the first hurricane of the season, extreme weather is on the minds of people around the globe. And while storms, floods and droughts have always occurred, science points to our changing climate as having a real effect on the severity and frequency of extreme weather events. Extreme precipitation events have increased over North America over the past 50 years. For the past decade, the West and Southwest regions have experienced drought conditions which are impacting agriculture, and contributing to the wildfire epidemic in the Western United States.

On Thursday, Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming will hold a hearing examining the links between global warming, extreme weather events, and how these events affect the world now and will in the future.

WHAT: Select Committee Hearing, “Global Warming Effects on Extreme Weather”

WHEN: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 1:30 PM

WHERE: 210 Cannon House Office Building and on the web at globalwarming.house.gov

WHO:
Jimmy O. Adegoke, Ph.D, Associate Professor, University of Missouri – Kansas City

Heather Cooley, Senior Research Associate, Pacific Institute

Dr. Jay S. Golden, Director, National Center of Excellence, SMART Innovations for Urban Climate & Energy, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University

Angela Licata, Deputy Commissioner, New York City Bureau of Environmental Planning and Analysis

Dan Keppen, Executive Director, Family Farm Alliance

# # #

Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming: Press Releases

111th Congress Staff Report

Introduction

Markey Statements on EPA's Greenhouse Gas Standards and Dept of Interior Wilderness Policy

Markey Statement on EPA's Plan for Greenhouse Gas Standards for Power Plants and Oil Refineries

Markey Statement on Proposed Interior Dept. Wilderness Policy

Markey Selected to Lead Democrats on Natural Resources Committee

Longtime Environment and Energy Leader Will Fight for Jobs, Against Environmental Attacks as Ranking Member

Markey Statement on Obama AdministrationaEUR(TM)s Gulf Oil Spill Lawsuit

Markey: Cancun Agreements Represent Progress for Global Action on Climate

Markey, Capps Push Varco for Information on BP Spill

National Oilwell Varco Withholding Key Information from Spill Commission; Senate Republicans Still Blocking Subpoena Power for Panel

Markey to BP: Show Your Work on Smaller Spill Claims

Chairman Sends Letter to BP CEO Bob Dudley

Markey Statement on Obama AdministrationaEUR(TM)s New Oil Drilling Plan

HEARING WEDNESDAY: aEURoeNot Going Away: America's Energy Security, Jobs and Climate Challenges.aEUR?

Politics May Change, But Problems Continue; Gen. Wesley Clark, RFK Jr. Lead All-Star Panel

Markey Statement on New Oil Spill Commission Reports

Chairman Stressed Flow Rate Issues, Industry Preparedness During Disaster

Chairmen Waxman and Markey Call on BP CEO Dudley to Testify

Release of New Report on BP Accident Highlights Need for Answers from Company

Markey, Capps Point to Oil Spill CommissionaEUR(TM)s Lead CounselaEUR(TM)s Testimony as Further Reason for Senate Republicans to Stop Obstruction

Background:

Markey Statement on BP Spill Commission Hearing

Markey: Cement Test Report Solidifies Liability for Halliburton, BP

Chairman Markey Calls for Subpoena Power for Spill Commission to Continue Important Work, Repeats Request for Bob Dudley, BP Head, to Testify

Markey: BP Chief Officially Refuses to Testify Before Congress

As Bob Dudley Blames Media, Everyone Else for Reaction to Spill, New BP CEO Avoids Talking to Congress, American People

Markey: On 6 Month Anniversary of Spill, New BP Chief Still HasnaEUR(TM)t Agreed to Date With Congress

Markey Statement on Obama Investigation into Chinese Trade Practices

Markey Statement on Lifting of Deepwater Drilling Suspension

Markey Asks New BP CEO Robert Dudley to Testify

Markey Statement on Administration Notice of Intent to Further Increase Fuel Economy Standards

Markey Capps Urges Senate Republicans to Stop Providing Cover to BP

Call for Immediate Action on Legislation Giving Subpoena Power to Oil Spill Commission

Markey to BP Commission: On Flow Rate, Ask What Did BP Know and When Did They Know It

Presents Commission with Timeline Account of BP’s Misleading Flow Rate Statements

The full text of the letter is below. CLICK HERE for a signed PDF version of the letter. CLICK HERE for a PDF of documents referenced in the Flow Rate Timeline.

Flow rate timeline

Markey: Rare Earth Disputes Reveal Threat to US Economy and Foreign Policy

Chairman sends letter to Secretaries Chu, Gates, Locke, and Ambassador Kirk

To read the letter, please CLICK HERE.

Select Committee Hearing WED: The Global Clean Energy Race

Markey Statement on Successful Killing of BP Well

Select Committee Briefing THURS: Extreme Weather in a Warming World

Features Pakistan’s Ambassador to U.S. to Discuss Historic Floods

AUTO X PRIZE: Entrepreneurs Driving the Future of Jobs and Energy Security

Congressional Briefing with X PRIZE Winners

***Winning Vehicles to be on Display at Capitol***

Markey Statement on BP Investigative Report

Markey Statement on Oil Drilling Platform Explosion in Gulf of Mexico

Markey: BP Refuses to Accept Flow Rate Number, Spill Size, Liability

Signals Litigation Ahead on Total Fines Assessed

Markey: BP Must Own Up to Flow Rate Number, Compensate the Gulf

In Letter to BP, Congressman ask Oil Company to Accept 4.9 million barrel flow rate number produced by U.S. Scientific Team

Briefing on aEURoeGreenland Ice Sheet: Global WarmingaEUR(TM)s Impacts on Arctic RegionaEUR?

Select Committee to Examine Dramatic Sea Ice Event with Scientists and Experts

Markey: Giant Ice Sheet Breaks Off Greenland, Global Warming Deniers Should Call it Home

FTC says Resellers of Toxic FEMA Trailers to Gulf Cleanup Workers Could Face Criminal Charges

Lawmakers urge FTC, GSA and other law enforcement to aggressively investigate and monitor sale and use of contaminated trailers

Markey Releases FDA Seafood Response Indicating Low Chance of Dispersant-Contamination in the Gulf

Questions remain on long-term effects on food chain and marine life

Markey: Administration Report Suggests Progress in Cleaning up the Gulf, but Vigilance Still Required

Markey: BP Must Finish the Job After Static Kill

Markey: New Flow Rate Shockingly Close to BPaEUR(TM)s Initial aEURoeWorst CaseaEUR? Scenario

Documents released by Rep. Markey last week also show identical BP assumption made in early July

Markey Analysis Shows Coast Guard Allowed BP, Spill Response Officials to Excessively Use Dispersants

Coast Guard Rubber-Stamped Applications as BP Provided Vastly Different Numbers to Congress, Executive Branch

House Passes Oil Spill Bill: Markey Safety, Whistleblower and Royalty Recovery Legislation -Recovering up to $53 Billion from Oil Companies

MARKEY: Oil Spill Bill Boosts Safety, Reduces Deficit

Markey Legislation to Recover Billions in Royalties from Oil Companies Included in House Package

Other provisions co-authored by Markey on whistleblower protections, blowout preventer and well standards also included

BP Documents Show Company Assumed 53,000 Barrels Per Day Spill

Could Better Determine BP’s Liability from Disaster

Markey: No Golden Parachute For Hayward Until Gulf Costs Paid

Markey Statement on Reports of BP's Tony Hayward's Departure as CEO

Markey, Capps: Contradicting Hayward Testimony, BP Admits Drilling Mud Is Toxic

BP Provides Other Toxics Totals; Will Same Mud Formulation Be Used in “Bullhead Kill” and Future Oil Company Operations?

Markey Releases BP Storm Response Information

Original BP Gulf Response Plan Didn’t Mention Hurricanes, Tropical Storms

Politics May Change, But Problems Continue;
Gen. Wesley Clark, RFK Jr. Lead All-Star Panel

Winning Vehicles to be on Display at Capitol