ASERTTI News
Climate Bill Hearings Scheduled and Bill May
Come to Senate Floor in June
In a few weeks, Congress will begin a series of
hearings on Climate legislation that will set the
tone for the legislative outlook after the election this
fall. In addition to consideration of the widely
discussed Lieberman Warner Bill, hearings will
likely consider new proposals for a separate low
carbon fuel standard, and increases in the carbon
reduction targets.
As reported in E&E Daily, aides to Lieberman, Warner
and Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman
Barbara Boxer (D-CA.) continued negotiations through
the weekend as they revise the bill expected on the
floor early next month. A manager's package will
change S. 2191, legislation the EPW Committee
adopted in December that would establish a mandatory
cap-and-trade program with about a 70 percent cut by
mid-century for heat-trapping emissions compared
with 2005 levels.
Click here for the complete E&E Daily story.
New EPA-ASERTTI CHP Wastewater Treatment Program
With funding from U.S. EPA, ASERTTI will soon
begin a CHP-Wastewater treatment facilities project
to catalogue case studies of CHP best practices in this important sector. The EPA
award will be utilized for data collection and
analysis, case study development, and outreach
activities. The program will include analysis and
outreach provided by the Energy Resources Center at the University of
Illinois at Chicago, Mariana Uhrlaub, David Terry,
and the volunteer efforts of interested ASERTTI members.
Senate Hearing Considers More Oil
Shale Support
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
will hold a hearing this week on development of oil
shale in Western states. Efforts to produce oil
shale collapsed in the early 1980s when oil prices
tumbled. Interest has grown as oil prices and
imports have increased. The 2005 Energy Policy Act
included renewed R&D efforts and additional
incentives are being sought.
As reported in E&E Daily, Shell Oil Co. has long
been experimenting with an underground approach to
separating the hydrocarbons from the rock formations
but has said it is years away from a decision about
whether to seek commercial-scale production. The
company's project in Colorado involves inserting
heating rods deep underground to heat the shale for
several years until it reaches 650-700 degrees
Fahrenheit in order to separate the oil. For the
complete E&E Daily story
click here.
House Climate Committee Hearing to Consider
Green Building Contributions
Congress is beginning to hold a number of climate
related hearings as cap and trade legislation comes
up for consideration this year and next. Of note, a
hearing later this week will include testimony from
the U.S. Green Building Council on the carbon
reduction contributions of green buildings. For more
information on the hearing and testimony,
click here.
ASERTTI Summer Planning Meeting
Each year, ASERTTI’s Executive Committee and
interested members hold a two day meeting to discuss
the organization’s strategic direction, program
plans, and other issues. This year’s meeting will be
held in Chicago and will be hosted by the Energy
Resources Center at the University of Illinois at
Chicago. For more information, please contact Sherry
Benzmiller at
SBenzmiller@ecw.org.
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