Waxman Includes Titus-Giffords-Heinrich Clean Energy Amendment in H.R. 2454

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Related subjects: Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, Economic Recovery, Energy Supply, Environment & Ecology, Legislation, Renewable Resources, Sustainable Development, U.S. Environment, U.S. Politics Comments (2)

26 June 2009 :: staff

Congressman Henry Waxman, one of the main sponsors of the “ACES” climate bill, H.R. 2454, has added the Titus-Giffords-Heinrich amendment, which would require the federal government to steadily ramp up contracted clean energy agreements over the next 20 years. The clean energy amendment had been pushed by a number environmental and progressive advocacy groups, including MoveOn.org, which urged millions of supporters to contact Congress to demand inclusion of the amendment.

The Titus-Giffords-Heinrich amendment [PDF] would establish “a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) for Federal agencies, and provides Federal agencies with the authority to enter into renewable energy power purchase agreements for up to 20 years.” The amendment is considered by pro-renewables groups to be integral to speeding the transition to a new national clean energy infrastructure, by incentivizing development of projects that meet the amendment’s requirements.

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Other key amendments included by Waxman are:

• Inslee-Markey [PDF], which “Provides FERC with sitting authority for the construction of certain high-priority interstate transmission lines constructed in the Western Interconnection and amends the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors.”
• Peterson [PDF], which “Requires the Agriculture Secretary to establish a list of types of domestic agricultural and forestry practices that result in reductions or avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions, exempts the agriculture and forestry sectors from the bill’s emission caps, redefines “biomass,” and grandfathers existing biodiesel plants to exempt them from lifecycle analysis under the RFS.”
• Cardoza (173) [PDF], which “Limits the cost of a permit for a license for the construction of a solar energy system, and provides that noncompliance with permit cost requirements disqualifies the entity from Community Development Block Grants.”
• Halvorson [PDF], which “Authorizes a national education and awareness program for the purpose of informing building, facility, and industrial plant owners and managers and decision makers, government leaders, and industry leaders about the large energy-saving potential of greater use of mechanical insulation and other benefits.”
• Another by Cardoza (201) [PDF], which “Directs HUD to issue rules to prohibit private covenants that restrict or prohibit the installation of solar energy systems.”
• Holt-DeLauro-Baldwin-Baird [PDF], which “Authorizes the Energy Secretary to develop a research program to study the factors affecting whether consumers adopt energy conservation practices or make energy efficiency improvements.”

Each of the amendments listed, along with several others included in Waxman’s broad amendment, are oriented toward facilitating the shift in private industry to a more ubiquitous and state-of-the-art dynamic renewable resources energy grid. HR 2454 is the most sweeping legislation ever considered by the House of Representatives that would regulate climate impacting carbon emissions and the national energy market.

UPDATE, 17:38 EDT: A number of provisions of HR 2454 (ACES) which mandate tougher energy efficiency standards have been found to be likely to lead to substantial savings in overall energy costs per household some years into the future. According to Reuters: 

The federal energy efficiency provisions included in H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (a.k.a. Waxman-Markey), could save approximately $1,050 per household by 2020 and $4,400 per household by 2030, according to an updated analysis by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

ACEEE’s analysis has adjusted to an evolving overall ACES bill, which now includes new provisions designed to promote a faster shift to reliable renewables, smart grid technology, energy saving measures and an updated energy infrastructure that will reduce energy “runoff”. The bill could produce efficiency improvements that “could reduce U.S. energy use by 5.4 quadrillion Btu’s, which accounts for about 5 percent of projected U.S. energy use in 2020″. 

Specifically, R&D funds from the bill demonstrate a serious transition to new priorities, with 70% of funds now to be directed to Advanced Energy Research and 30% to university-rooted “Energy Innovation Hubs”. Changes that would make the clean energy provisions of the bill both more innovation-oriented and more aggressive in terms of market share are projected to save by creating new efficiencies across the energy market. 

UPDATE, 18:01 EDT: The House of Representatives today voted 217 to 205 to approve HR 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), with 30 Democratic members voting against the legislation. Most opposition appears to be rooted in concerns the legislation will cause a rise in overall energy costs for the average American household, though competing analyses suggest modest price rises or long-term price reductions will result. 

The legislation is expected to have a parallel effect of “creating jobs” in the clean energy industry. A significant shift in the overall resource-base of the US energy economy is thought to be a potential generator of 1 to 4 million new jobs, depending on a range of regional market factors. The energy-linked jobs would also require local infrastructure and local employment, providing a barrier against outsourcing. 

More Café Sentido reporting on US climate and energy policy:

• Official House Energy & Commerce Committee Summary of H.R. 2454: Climate Bill
• Climate Bill Would Achieve Far Lower Costs than Critics Projected
• 190-page White House Report Urges Immediate Climate Action (discussion)
• Transition to Renewables Cannot Wait, Devotion to Carbon Fuel is Folly
• Comprehensive US Energy Bill: Does it Do Enough? (discussion)
• Cap & Trade: Paradigm Shift or Same Ole Story?
• ‘WindCube’ Marks New Phase in Wind-power Amplification
• THE END OF AN ERA: Closing the Door on Building New Coal-fired Power Plants in America
• ‘We Cannot Rebuild this Economy on the Same Pile of Sand’
• Fmr. VP Al Gore Testifies in Hearings Related to Landmark Emissions Legislation
• EPA to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions, After Review Shows Dangers
• Obama Tasks Interior Dept. with Conservation, Energy Security, Science-based Policy
• Obama Acts to Enable Energy Innovation, Raise Emissions Standards
• Obama May Issue Executive Order to Raise Fuel Efficiency Standards
• Economic Downturn Cannot Be Allowed to Slow Shift to Green Resources
• Massive Pollution-based Weather-system Choking South & East Asia
• EPA Chief Says Congress Should Pass Laws to Mandate Emissions Reduction Regulations
• US Supreme Court Rules EPA Must Regulate Carbon Emissions, Citing Clean Air Act

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