Dive Brief:
- House Republicans are expected to put forth a broad energy proposal this week that will focus on infrastructure development and energy efficiency, among other issues, E&E publishing reports/
- The plan has bipartisan support and is not expected to tackle overly-contentious issues such as the Environmental Protection Agency's carbon regulation.
- The Senate is considering legislation to speed the review of certain types of liquefied natural gas export arrangements.
Dive Insight:
House Republicans could put forth their energy platform this week, but so far it is not clear what form the proposals will take. E&E reports it could be either a series of bills or an informal framework. Generally speaking the platform is expected to contain four parts, focusing on infrastructure, the workforce, cross-border energy issues and energy efficiency.
The administration recently set out its own energy proposals in President Barack Obama's $4 trillion budget proposal, calling for accelerated emissions targets for states and making permanent the federal tax credits targeting solar and wind generation. The budget reflected increased focus by the administration on carbon pollution and the environment, and for the first time includes an entire section on combating climate change.
One piece of energy legislation that could see a quick vote is a measure to speed up the approval process for exports of liquefied natural gas to countries which do not have free trade agreements with the United States. The measure was introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and would require the secretary of energy to make a final decision on an export application within 45 days after FERC completes the environmental review process.
“Our bill will give investors greater confidence that LNG export projects will be permitted and built," Barrasso said. “Our bill is carefully crafted and it’s a bipartisan compromise. It is cosponsored by five Democrats and five additional Republicans."
