Energy and environmental policy in Congress (2015)

State environmental policy
U.S. environmental policy
Endangered species policy
State endangered species
Federal land policy
Environmental terms

The following article includes information on energy and environmental policy legislation that was introduced, debated, and/or voted upon in Congress in 2015.

Clean Power Plan

The Clean Power Plan is the Obama administration's climate change policy mandating a 32 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and other greenhouse gases from coal and oil-fired power plants by the year 2030. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established interim and final CO₂ emission goals for each state based on two kinds of power plants: coal- and oil-fired power plants (known as fossil fuel-fired plants) and natural gas-fired power plants. Each state's goal is based on the number of fossil fuel- and natural gas-fired plants in the state. A state's interim goal must be achieved between 2022 and 2029 while its final goal must be achieved by the year 2030 and maintained beyond 2030. States choose whether to meet their goals as a rate measured in pounds per megawatt hour (lbs/MWh) or a mass-based goal measured in total tons of CO₂. All final state goals fall between 771 lbs/MWh (states that have only natural gas plants) and 1,305 lbs/MWh of CO₂ (states that have only coal or oil plants).

As of November 11, 2015, 27 states opposed the plan and 18 states supported the plan. Click here to see read more information about the Clean Power Plan.

In November 2015, the United States Senate approved a resolution by a vote of 52 to 46 to repeal the Clean Power Plan. A second resolution to repeal carbon dioxide emissions standards for newly built power plants passed by the same vote margin. The Senate vote held its vote under the Congressional Review Act of 1996, which allows Congress to block newly published federal regulations within 60 days. 51 votes are needed under the Congressional Review Act rather than the 60 votes needed to pass other Senate legislation. President Barack Obama (D) said he would veto the resolutions, and the Senate did not have a two-thirds majority to override Obama's veto.

Three Democratic senators—Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.)—joined a majority of Republicans to repeal the plan. Three Republican senators—Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mark Kirk (Ill.)—voted with the majority of Democrats against repealing the plan. In December 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the Clean Power Plan by a vote of 242 to 180. a resolution to repeal carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions standards for newly built power plants passed by a vote of 235 to 188. Four House Democrats voted with the majority of Republicans to repeal the plan: Reps. Brad Ashford (Nebr.), Collin Peterson (Minn.), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Ga.) and Henry Cuellar (Texas). Republican House Reps. Richard Hanna (N.Y.) and Bob Dold (Ill.) voted against the resolution to repeal emissions standards for existing power plants. Ten House Republicans voted against the repeal of greenhouse gas emissions standards for newly built power plants.

UN global climate fund

The United Nations' general assembly

The United Nations' Green Climate Fund is meant to transfer funds from developed nations to developing nations to help mitigate the potential effects of human-caused climate change. The fund began in 2009 with a goal of raising $100 billion each year by the year 2020 to fund renewable energy and infrastructure projects in developing countries. In November 2014, President Barack Obama (D) pledged $3 billion for the fund. The Obama administration's 2016 budget proposal requested $500 million for the fund. In November 2015, approximately 100 House Republicans wrote to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee to oppose the $3 billion pledge and the 2016 budget request. A letter signed by 37 Republican senators stated that the senators would block spending on the fund if the administration does not present international climate change agreements to Congress for approval.

In its 2015 year-end spending legislation, Congress did not specifically appropriate funding for the UN climate fund but did not block funding. Under the legislation, the Obama administration would be allowed to direct discretionary funding to the U.S. State Department for the fund. "Based on what we have reviewed so far, there are no restrictions on our ability to make good on the president’s pledge to contribute to the Green Climate Fund," said White House press secretary Josh Earnest.

Oil and natural gas extraction on federal land

The federal government owned between 635 million to 640 million acres, or 28 percent, of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States as of 2012. Roughly 26 percent of the land owned by the federal government (around 166 million acres) is leased to private individuals and companies for energy development, including drilling for crude oil and natural gas, solar energy, and geothermal energy. Oil and natural gas drilling on federal lands in the United States is overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), although other federal agencies may be involved. The federal government can collect different types of taxes on oil and gas production from federal land, including royalties, rents, bonuses and other revenue.

In November 2015, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to prohibit new leases and all non-productive leases for coal, oil and natural gas production on federal land. Known as the Keep It In The Ground Act, the bill would also prohibit offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). "Our society is still dependent on fossil fuels, but affordable and reliable technology exists to gradually transition to clean energy and clean transportation. Making that transition happen smoothly and efficiently should be a central priority of the federal government," according to Merkley in a press statement. As of December 2015, the legislation did not receive a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

A crude oil tanker

Crude oil export ban

The crude oil export ban of 1975 prohibited the exportation of most crude oil from the United States to other countries. At the time the ban was implemented, the U.S. production of oil decreased, which caused imports to increase. Additionally, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) imposed a ban on petroleum exports to the United States, causing an increase in oil prices. In response, Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which included a ban on crude oil exports. The goal was to encourage domestic crude oil production and discourage the importation of crude oil from other countries.

On October 9, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to lift the crude oil export ban by a vote of 261 to 159. The U.S. Senate Banking Committee voted to lift the crude oil export ban in October 2015 by a vote of 13 to 9. In December 2015, the Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (H.R. 2029), which lifted the ban. The bill was signed by President Barack Obama on December 18, 2015.

See also

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  Environmental policy in the U.S.

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  Energy policy in the U.S.

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  Endangered species policy in the U.S.