This year has been big for energy and climate policy. Congress pumped $369 billion into clean energy in a historic climate bill , world leaders agreed to create a fund for climate reparations — though not necessarily to provide any money for it — and electric vehicle sales hit record numbers. Not to mention a global energy crisis that has major oil producers flip-flopping on whether to boost production. But a number of key decisions concerning the national and global energy future will be made in the last few weeks of 2022. Here's what to keep an eye on: On the Hill
As Congress heads into a lame-duck session, Democrats have a slew of priorities on their to-do list before they lose control of the House. Lawmakers must pass a spending bill to keep the government from shutting down — either a stopgap measure that kicks the can down the road or an omnibus that sets agency spending for 2023. They're also looking to wrap up negotiations on the fiscal 2023 defense authorization bill, which Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) hopes to use to speed up permitting for large energy projects. But time is running short, and House Republicans, eager to craft their own proposal once in control, may lack the appetite for compromise. Democrats will also make a last-ditch bid to salvage several notable presidential nominations. Those include Joseph Goffman, a key Environmental Protection Agency nominee, whom Democrats have failed to advance out of committee three times . The fate of Richard Glick as chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a crucial agency for Biden's agenda, also hangs in the balance. Some supporters hope Manchin reverses course and agrees to hold a confirmation hearing for Glick's second term. Speaking of FERC
If Glick fails to return for a second term, Democrats will lose the majority on the five-member panel. That means a number of Glick priorities could fall by the wayside , such as building transmission lines to carry wind and solar power into urban centers. Natural gas price cap
Meanwhile, the United States and seven industrialized nations, the G-7, are putting increasing pressure on European Union countries to agree on a price cap for Russian oil. The goal is to inflict maximum pain on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which set off a global energy crisis, while causing minimum harm to member countries. But where that level should be remains a point of contention. The measure is expected to come into force on Dec. 5, to coincide with an E.U. ban on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil and a similar U.K. ban on Russian crude, writes POLITICO reporter Charlie Cooper.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment