In the News

President Obama's top two climate advisers yesterday met with Democrats in the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition to discuss his carbon emissions agenda, focusing on a new White House data initiative. John Podesta and Dan Utech, Obama's climate advisers, met with 19 of the coalition's 56 members to share details about the White House-centered elements of the president's government-wide Climate Action Plan, according to a source briefed on the meeting. The sit-down "primarily" looked at the Climate Data Initiative, a project unveiled last week to allow easy visualization of government scientists' projections for sea-level rise and other global warming effects at Climate.Data.gov (Greenwire, March 19). Agency actions, such as U.S. EPA rules for power plant emissions that are expected to advance to the next stage in their regulatory process within weeks, were "a part of" the meeting, but the White House played the central role in Podesta and Utech's discussion, the source explained, speaking on condition of anonymity. The coalition is eyeing future meetings with the European Union commissioner for climate action and the Bureau of Land Management.

Rep. Henry Waxman’s decision to retire at the end of the year has left greens wondering who will step in as House Democrats’ moral compass on environmental issues. But it might not be just one lawmaker who emerges as the chamber’s loudest voice on climate change and other hot-button topics. The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition has built a caucus of 56 Democrats who are vowing to carry on Waxman’s legacy. “We’re not just leaving it to a handful of individuals,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the co-chair of the coalition, told POLITICO in a recent interview.

Eighth District Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan has joined a “Green” group of lawmakers — the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. The coalition has 56 House members, all Democrats. The coalition has strong views about global warming/climate change that are fully agreed to by the congressman.

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy met today with the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and discussed issues like fracking and climate change, Co-Chairman Gerald Connolly said afterward. The group, which Connolly calls the “green dogs” caucus, also talked about regional issues like Chesapeake Bay, Puget Sound and the California drought. He said about two-thirds of the caucus’s 55 members attended. On fracking, members suggested that given the congressional “antipathy towards any regulation, however rational,” EPA should highlight states’ best practices, Connolly said. He said the members were surprised when McCarthy said that’s what EPA intends to do.

Outside of the formal committees, a Waxman successor could be found among the members of another bloc, such as the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition... The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition's members include Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Donna Edwards (D-Md.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.).

"I think when he uses that phrase, it's presenting us with a menu," said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who is co-chairman of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. "There's nothing wrong with that approach -- and it leaves room for us to debate what we pick and choose on that menu."

Dozens of congressional Democrats urged the leaders of the Senate and House budget committees on Dec. 16 to extend or make permanent tax credits promoting wind energy, other renewables and energy efficiency.

Leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition wrote to House Ways and Means Committee leadership on Monday calling for an extension of a slate of clean-energy tax credits currently on the chopping block. The move was timed to coincide with the release of a nearly identical letter sent by a coalition of Democratic and independent senators to Senate Finance Committee leadership.