Election 2020

Capito set to lead Senate EPW as Barrasso moves to chair energy panel

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is poised to become the top Republican on the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee (EPW) that oversees EPA, after current Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) announced on Nov. 18 that he will take a leading role on the energy panel in the next Congress. Industry sources predicted the shift based on Barrasso’s expressed interest in replacing term-limited Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) at the head of the energy committee, but his statement confirming his “intent to...

Democrats Crafting Plans To Enact PFAS Legislation Next Year, Dingell Says

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), the lead sponsor of legislation to require EPA to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), expects the House will prioritize passage of comprehensive PFAS legislation in the upcoming Congress, mirroring efforts from earlier this year, with high-ranking Democrats in both chambers already strategizing on plans. In an exclusive Nov. 10 interview with Inside EPA , Dingell said she is “very optimistic” about the prospects for moving PFAS legislation through the new Congress and with President-elect Joe...

Rep. Burgess Sees Energy Panel As Path To Renewed GOP House Majority

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), who is running to lead Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee next year, says he intends to eventually chair the powerful committee, arguing issues under its jurisdiction such as hydraulic fracturing and restoring the economy will be central for the GOP regaining control of the chamber in 2022. Burgess says his role in the next Congress should he win his bid to be the committee’s ranking Republican will be to oppose proposals by Democrats...

Biden’s election could lead to Chesapeake TMDL settlement

Environmentalists are hopeful that President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will be willing to work with them and several states to resolve litigation over EPA’s alleged failure to enforce cleanup goals for the Chesapeake Bay, just as the Obama administration reached a settlement over similar litigation filed during the George W Bush administration. “We’re optimistic lightning will strike twice,” Jon Mueller, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) vice president for litigation, said Nov. 9 during the University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative’s annual...

Capito Poised To Lead Senate Environment Panel, Dimming Climate Outlook

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is in line to take over the chairmanship of the Senate environment committee next year as Republicans appear likely to retain control of the upper chamber, quashing any chance of comprehensive climate change legislation or significant reforms to major environmental statutes, sources say. Capito is poised to take over the leadership of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee from its current chairman, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), who is expected to become chairman of the...

California Democrats Appear To Extend Supermajority In State Senate

Democrats appear to have extended their supermajority in the California state Senate by flipping at least two Republican-held seats in the Nov. 3 elections, likely making it even easier to pass controversial climate change and environmental bills, including fiscal-related legislation requiring two-thirds votes, sources say. While the Democratic candidates hold slim leads in two districts -- as well as an even slimmer lead in another and a slim deficit in a fourth -- previously held by Republicans, their wins would...

Latta Touts Record In Bid For GOP Leadership Of Energy & Commerce Panel

Correction Appended As he runs to lead Republicans on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee in the next Congress, Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) is touting his accomplishments as a legislator, including working across the aisle to pass bills and address complex problems like climate change and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In an exclusive interview with Inside EPA , Latta said he would likely take his lead from the work done by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL),...

NDN bullish on Biden’s potential for victory

The New Democrat Network (NDN), a think tank that promotes “centrist” Democratic candidates, is declaring Democratic candidate Joe Biden the almost certain victor in the 2020 presidential race. NDN’s President Simon Rosenberg said on a Nov. 4 call with reporters, “Joe Biden is going to win” and, acknowledging the states yet to be called, added, “the more states that feel invested, the better it’s going to be for his governing.” At press time, Biden holds 253 electoral votes of the...

Biofuels supporters tout ethanol’s role in 2020 election

Biofuels supporters are touting what they say is the prominent role that ethanol played in the 2020 elections, with Democratic and Republican candidates across the Midwest pledging their support for policies to promote the fuel and key biofuels advocates winning re-election to Congress including Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). “Across the heartland, we saw ethanol champions run and win on their support for biofuels. In the lead up to this election, few issues were agreed upon, but one thing remained true...

Narrow Biden Victory Would Set Stage For Regulatory Climate Focus

Capitol Hill Democrats’ weak showing in the 2020 elections could set the stage for a heavy emphasis on regulatory policies rather than sweeping legislation to advance climate policy, should Democratic nominee Joe Biden be declared the winner in the presidential contest. That expectation comes despite pre-Election Day predictions that administrative actions could be supplemented with bold legislation, including new greenhouse gas emissions mandates or carbon taxes under the scenario where Democrats were to take control of the Senate while retaining...

U.S. Paris-Deal Exit Could Be Temporary If Biden Secures Election Win

The United States’ now-formal departure from the Paris climate deal could be a temporary blip that is reversed within weeks if Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is declared the winner of this year’s election, though observers say re-joining the deal will be easier than the requirement to issue an updated emissions reduction target. “Rejoining is a simple matter. The trickier part is putting forth an ambitious and credible” national greenhouse gas reduction goal, Elliot Diringer, a long-time international climate policy...

Despite Election Uncertainty, Environmental Policy Poised For Upheaval

Despite uncertainty about the final result of the Nov. 3 presidential election, environmental policy is poised for a major upheaval whether President Donald Trump wins re-election and pursues an aggressive deregulatory agenda in his second term or Democratic nominee Joe Biden wins and implements his sweeping climate change plan. At press time the final outcome of the election was unclear with millions of absentee and other votes remaining to be counted in several states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. According...

As Election Looms, Groups Offer Last-Minute Advocacy On Climate, Energy

Various non-governmental groups and analysts are seeking to influence climate and energy policy in the post-election period, with some praising Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s political focus on climate, others pushing carbon-neutral requirements for infrastructure and one free-market group urging a hands-off approach to energy issues. In an example of one take on climate-related policy in the days before the pivotal Nov. 3 election, environmental consultant Jeremy Symons writes in an Oct. 30 Medium column that Biden’s Oct. 22 remarks...

CCS group floats 2021 policy pitch to Biden, Trump teams

A coalition of industry groups, environmentalists and others that support carbon capture and storage (CCS) is floating recommendations to the Biden transition team and Trump re-election campaign urging legislation expanding of a variety of financial incentives and research funding for CCS and related technologies. “Carbon capture deployment at industrial facilities, power plants and direct air capture [from ambient air] will retain and grow domestic high-wage industrial energy and manufacturing jobs,” says the policy pitch from the Carbon Capture Coalition. The...

Biofuels Groups Prepare To Battle Democratic Push For Electric Vehicles

Biofuels groups are lobbying Iowa lawmakers to oppose Democrats’ draft legislation to phase out liquid fuels in favor of electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, preparing for a major fight over the bill and other fuels and climate policies if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the Nov. 3 election. Lawmakers including Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), as well as Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA), Joe Neguse (D-CO) and 13 other House Democrats on...

Industry Attorneys Prepare For Major Environment Shift From Biden Win

Amid speculation that the Nov. 3 elections could allow Democrats to re-take control of the White House and potentially the Senate, industry attorneys are preparing their clients for expected dramatic changes in federal environmental and climate change rules. While these lawyers stress that they are not necessarily predicting that President Donald Trump will lose his re-election bid, they are nevertheless preparing for such an outcome, given Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s wide lead in national polls as well as in key...

Likely GOP Senate Environment Panel Shuffle Spurs Policy Questions

Expectations that Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) will take over as the top Republican next year on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee that oversees EPA is prompting questions about how such a committee shuffle could affect environment policy. Capito, who is currently chairwoman of EPW’s air subcommittee, is expected to take over as the top Republican on EPW, sources say, after current Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) takes over as the top Republican on the Energy & Natural...

Experts’ Mid-Century Climate Roadmap Estimates Massive Job Gains

A new report by sustainability experts touts an array of short- and longer-term strategies to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, estimating that job gains under the approach would dwarf job losses and that the effort would not increase oil and gas sector unemployment over the next decade. The proposed Zero-Carbon Action Plan (ZCAP), released Oct. 27 by almost 100 researchers as part of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), includes immediate action items for next year that the...

Unions Float ‘Just Transition’ Costs For 2035 Net-Zero GHG Power Target

A coalition of eight energy-intensive labor unions is renewing concerns about job losses in the energy and manufacturing sectors from Democrats’ power sector climate plans, while pushing for significant federal funding for a “just transition” to handle such a shift. The coalition, known as Unions for Jobs and Environmental Progress (UJEP), warns in an October paper that Hill Democrats and the Biden campaign’s broad goal of making the electricity sector have net-zero carbon emissions by 2035 would threaten 1.4 million...

Attorneys Say Biden Victory Would Mean Ramped-Up EPA Enforcement

If Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins the Nov. 3 election, attorneys are widely expecting EPA to ramp up enforcement efforts with major initiatives under bedrock environmental laws, rather than the Trump administration’s approach of focusing on compliance assistance and deference to states. One former EPA enforcement official expects that the agency’s Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance (OECA) under a Biden administration would show “an interest in launching new initiatives that get attention.” However, “the most important thing to...

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