Hill Heat

Subcommittee hearing titled “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending.”

Hearing memo

Witness:

• Sean W. O’Donnell, Inspector General, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Full committee hearing entitled “The Cost of the Biden-Harris Energy Crisis.”

Witnesses:

• Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Director of the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment, The Heritage Foundation
• Alex Epstein, President and Founder, Center for Industrial Progress
• Donna Jackson, Director of Membership Development, Project 21

Furchtgott-Roth is the author of the Department of Transportation chapter for Project 2025.

Epstein recently participated in the Alliance For Responsible Citizenship conference convened by Jordan Peterson with support from the Heritage Foundation.

Project 21 is a project of the National Center for Public Policy Research, a Project 2025 partner. Donna Jackson served on the advisory board for Project 2025.

The purpose of this hearing is to explore the benefits and risks of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approaches as they relate to carbon capture and sequestration. In addition, this hearing will inform members on research and development of this technology and address scientific gaps and deficiencies facing researchers and scientists today.

Hearing charter

Witnesses:

• Noah Deich, Senior Advisor, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy
• Dr. Sarah Kapnick, Chief Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Ben Tarbell, CEO and Co-Founder, Ebb Carbon
• Dr. Scott Doney, Joe D. and Helen J. Kington Professor in Environmental Change, The University of Virginia

The ocean is the Earth’s largest carbon sink, holding 42 times the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is in the atmosphere and absorbing 25% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions each year. Global atmospheric carbon reduction efforts have led scientists to try to enhance the ocean’s natural sequestration abilities by developing mCDR techniques. Leveraging the ocean can help diversify the range of carbon dioxide removal approaches, reducing the pressure on land-based approaches.1 Marine CDR can also have non-carbon environmental benefits, such as reducing ocean acidification, replenishing ecosystems, and providing jobs. However, most mCDR techniques have not been tested at scale, and a few are at the earliest stages of research. Dedicated resources, including streamlined permitting, to enable research will help clarify the uncertainties associated with mCDR.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is home to the Ocean Acidification Program (OAP), established to better understand impacts of ocean acidification and adaptation. In May 2023, the program, in collaboration with the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, published their paper Strategy for NOAA Carbon Dioxide Removal Research: A White Paper documenting a potential NOAA CDR Science Strategy as an element of NOAA’s Climate Interventions Portfolio. In September 2023, OAP announced $23.4 million in funding for public and private research in mCDR, with a focus on understanding uncertainties and filling knowledge gaps for different mCDR approaches. These awards support 17 projects with partners from 47 institutions to further enhance efficiency of marine research and provide NOAA with funding and information sharing opportunities to advance mCDR development.

The Department of Energy (DOE) supports mCDR as a key technology development area. It is a central component of DOE’s Carbon Negative Shot — calling for innovation in CDR pathways that can capture CO2 and store it at gigaton scales for less than $100/net metric ton of CO2-equivalent. In October 2023, DOE announced $36 million for 11 projects across 8 states, funneled through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Sensing Exports of Anthropogenic Carbon through Ocean Observation (SEA-CO2) program, to accelerate the development of mCDR technologies. The focus of the projects receiving these funds is to advance sensing and modeling techniques that more accurately measure the impacts of mCDR technologies. Supported projects include development of fiber optic sensor cables, micro-electronic seafloor probes, and ocean carbon flux monitoring. If successful, SEA-CO2 measurement, reporting, and verification technology innovations will ensure that the quantity and quality of emission removals are correctly valued. 

On Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET, U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Democrats will host a roundtable discussion with expert panelists titled, “Holding Big Oil Accountable for Extortion, Collusion, and Pollution.”

A recent Federal Trade Commission complaint and multiple class action lawsuits allege that Big Oil has colluded with OPEC to pad their profits by raising energy prices for Americans. This price-gouging adds to the hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies Big Oil already receives annually through direct tax breaks and by passing along health and environmental cleanup costs to taxpayers and communities.

Meanwhile, House Republicans continue to put polluters over people, pushing additional handouts and giveaways for the fossil fuel industry, many of which mirror proposals in Trump’s Project 2025. Former President Trump also recently requested $1 billion in campaign contributions from Big Oil executives, promising to roll back environmental regulations, fast-track fossil fuel project permitting, and enhance tax breaks even further.

Roundtable panelists will discuss these issues, the impacts on American communities, and how Congress can support the American people by holding Big Oil accountable for its extortion, collusion, and pollution.

Members:

• Vice Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.)

Panelists:

• Kristina Karlsson, Deputy Director of Climate Policy, Roosevelt Institute
• Alex Witt, Senior Advisor on Oil & Gas, Climate Power
• Bekah Hinojosa, Co-Founder, South Texas Environmental Justice Network
• Chris Marshall, Director, Energy & Environment Program, Accountable.US

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 10:15 a.m. in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 1479 (Rep. Ciscomani), “Chiricahua National Park Act”, to redesignate the Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona as the Chiricahua National Park;
• H.R. 1504 (Rep. Horsford), “Apex Area Technical Corrections Act”;
• H.R. 8931 (Rep. Stefanik), To redesignate Saratoga National Historical Park as Saratoga National Battlefield Park;
• H.R. 8946 (Rep. Matsui), “Reversionary Interest Conveyance Act”;
• H.R. 9159 (Rep. Lawler), “Appalachian Trail Centennial Act”;
• H.R. 9492 (Rep. Valadao), To amend Public Law 99-338 with respect to Kaweah Project permits;
• H.R. 9516 (Rep. Chavez-DeRemer), “Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act”, to provide for lifetime National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes for family members of members of the Armed Forces who lost their lives while serving their country; and
• S. 612 (Sen. Cortez Masto), “Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act”.

All aboard for an unforgettable night of train stanning, neighborly vibes, and power building!

Join Train Lovers for Harris/Walz and the Green New Deal DC Happy Hour at the trainiest bar in town, Metrobar.

This free event is it for transit enthusiasts, Green New Dealers, supporters of Harris/Walz, or anyone who loves a good time on the rails, or beer!

We’ll have a few special guests too.

RSVP

Location: Metrobar, 640 Rhode Island Ave NE

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) invite you to a briefing about effective policy-making for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). CDR—the practice of removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and ocean—comes in many forms, including direct air capture, soil carbon sequestration, ocean CDR, and forest restoration. These methods have garnered increasing scientific, governmental, and private sector interest, but expanded policy development is needed to bring them to the scale needed to meet national climate goals.

Leveraging key findings from recent reports, panelists from NGOs, academia, and the private sector will explore existing policies supporting different stages of CDR development, the level of CDR we expect to need, the potential for CDR in the United States, policy options to enable scaling to that level, and private sector perspectives on the policy landscape. Panelists will also pinpoint key takeaways relevant for federal policymakers.

Speakers for this session include:

• Katie Lebling, Associate II, Carbon Removal and Industrial Decarbonization, World Resources Institute (WRI)
• Galen Bower, Senior Analyst, Rhodium Group
• Peter Psarras, Research Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania
• Laura Hatalsky, Deputy Director of Policy, Carbon Removal Alliance

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Daniel O’Brien at [email protected] or (202) 662-1880.

RSVP

The purpose of this hearing is to examine the Department of Energy’s lead role in conducting advanced computing research, application, and security.

Witnesses:

• Helena Fu, Director, US Department of Energy Office of Critical and Emerging Technologies
• Dr. Shaun Gleason, Director of Science-Security Initiative Integration, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Office of the Laboratory Director
• Dr. Divyansh Kaushik, Senior Fellow, American Policy Ventures

The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills:

• S. 2927, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to increase Tribal access to water conservation and efficiency grants, and for other purposes (Lujan);
• S. 4016, to amend the Boulder Canyon Project Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to expend amounts in the Colorado River Dam fund, and for other purposes (Sinema);
• S. 4242/H.R. 4385, to extend the authorization of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991, and for other purposes (Hickenlooper/Lummis);
• S. 4245/H.R. 5770, to amend the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to reauthorize certain United States Geological Survey water data enhancement programs, and for other purposes (Lummis/Hickenlooper);
• S. 4347, to provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land at Swanson Reservoir and Hugh Butler Reservoir in the State of Nebraska, and for other purposes (Fisher/Ricketts);
• S. 4458, to reauthorize the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006, and for other purposes (Rounds/Klobuchar);
• S. 4576, to amend the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015, to reauthorize the Colorado River System conservation pilot program (Hickenlooper/Barrasso);
• S. ___, to establish a new Reclamation program to support collaborative positions at eligible partner organizations to help develop, fund, and implement water projects with benefits for water management and the environment (Hickenlooper);
• S. ___, to amend the Aquifer Recharge Flexibility Act to clarify a provision relating to conveyances for aquifer recharge purposes (Risch);
• S. ___, to authorize additional funding for the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Program (Padilla);
• S. ___, to establish an interest-bearing account for the non-Federal contributions to the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (Padilla);
• S. ___, to establish the Integrated Water Management Federal Leadership Committee and to provide for improved drought resilience and dam safety (Padilla);
• S. ___, to amend Public Law 89–108 to modify the authorization of appropriations for State and Tribal, municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies (Hoeven);
• S. ___, to make certain modifications to the repayment period and payment of interest for the Fryingpan-Arkansas project in the State of Colorado (Bennet);
• S. ___, to prohibit the use of amounts from the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund to implement a certain record of decision (Lee); and
• H.R. 6062, to restore the ability of the people of American Samoa to approve amendments to the territorial constitution based on majority rule in a democratic act of self-determination, as authorized pursuant to an Act of Congress delegating administration of Federal territorial law in the territory to the President, and to the Secretary of the Interior under Executive Order 10264, dated June 29, 1951, under which the Constitution of American Samoa was approved and may be amended without requirement for further congressional action, subject to the authority of Congress under the Territorial Clause in article IV, section 3, clause 2 of the United States Constitution (Rep. Radewagen).

A subcommittee hearing titled “From Gas to Groceries: Americans Pay the Price of the Biden-Harris Energy Agenda.”, to “examine how radical rush to green energy polices have resulted in high energy costs and crippling inflation.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Linda Pryor, Hilltop Farm WNC, Hendersonville, NC, on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation
• Patrice Onwuka, Director, Center for Economic Opportunity, Independent Women’s Forum
• Travis Fisher, Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Studies, Cato Institute
• Trevor Higgins, Senior Vice President, Energy and Environment, Center for American Progress