Overnight Energy: Pelosi: Congress has ‘iron-clad’ commitment to climate crisis| House Republicans to hold innovation showcase| Ethanol and fossil fuels prepare to battle EPA
Speaking at a United Nations conference in Madrid, Pelosi promised that the U.S. would continue to push for the goals set by the Paris climate agreement despite President Trump
Donald John TrumpPerry ends final day as Energy secretary Mexican officials detain suspects in massacre of members of Mormon sect READ: White House’s letter to Nadler saying it won’t participate in impeachment hearing MORE removing the country from the international pact.
“Congress’s commitment to take action on the climate crisis is iron-clad,” she said. “By coming here we want to say to everyone, ‘We’re still in. The United States is still in.’”
Flanked by 14 Democratic senators and representatives, Pelosi’s attendance at this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is meant to position congressional Democrats as counter figures to the White House, whose talking points have frequently derided the Paris climate accord, a capstone of the countries involved in this week’s international meeting.
“It’s our moral responsibility, if you believe as do I that this planet is God’s creation and we must be stewards of it. But if you don’t share that belief, we all agree we have a moral responsibility to our children to pass on this planet to our children in a very responsible way,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi journeyed to the event as part of a bicameral delegation with members of Congress who have been key figures in the party’s climate action push, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Sheldon WhitehouseSupreme Court poised to hear first major gun case in a decade Pelosi heading to Madrid for UN climate change convention Overnight Energy: Protesters plan Black Friday climate strike | ‘Father of EPA’ dies | Democrats push EPA to abandon methane rollback MORE (D-R.I.) and Rep. Kathy Castor
Katherine (Kathy) Anne CastorPelosi heading to Madrid for UN climate change convention Overnight Energy: BLM staff face choice of relocation or resignation as agency moves | Trump says he’s ‘very much into climate’ | EPA rule would expand limits on scientific studies Trump: ‘I’m very much into climate’ MORE (D-Fla.). The House in May passed a bill introduced by Castor that would force the U.S. to rejoin the Paris climate agreement and recommence steps to meet its emissions goals. The Senate has not taken up the bill for a vote.
Delegates from nearly 200 countries are attending the event in Madrid this week to hammer out details from the 2015 Paris climate accord. Trump is not scheduled to attend and sent no senior members in his wake.
Earlier this month, Trump took official measures to formally withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement. The withdrawal would make the U.S. the only country to not be part of the accord.
Read it here.
Pelosi’s comments come as the European Union prepares to take stronger action on climate change: The European Union’s new leaders pledged to prioritize action against climate change upon taking office Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
“Today we can present a unified face to the rest of the world. With more weight and greater coherence in a rules-based world,” former Belgian premier Charles Michel, who succeeded European Council President Donald Tusk, said Sunday. “Today we do more than look back, we celebrate a new beginning, with great enthusiasm and hope.”
“The European Union wants to be the first climate neutral continent in 2050. Europe is leading in this topic and we know that we have to be ambitious for our planet,” Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s new president, told reporters.
Read more here.
And we’re back! Happy Monday! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news.
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THIS YEAR WE’RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT’S EPA’S 49: The EPA turned 49 today, marking nearly 50 years since it was formed under the Nixon administration.
“Since the agency’s inception under the leadership of the late Administrator William Ruckelshaus, EPA staff have worked tirelessly to clean up our air, water, and land for the American people,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler
Andrew WheelerOvernight Energy: Protesters plan Black Friday climate strike | ‘Father of EPA’ dies | Democrats push EPA to abandon methane rollback Democratic senators push EPA to abandon methane rollback Overnight Energy: Relocated BLM staff face salary cuts | UN report calls for drastic action on climate change | California asks EPA to reconsider emissions rule MORE said in a statement. “Together, we have achieved significant milestones in support of our mission to protect human health and the environment. I look forward to celebrating EPA’s accomplishments over the coming year and continuing to build on our progress for future generations.”
But what do you get the agency that has everything?
For the birthday divas who didn’t make time to celebrate today, fear not, for today kicks off what will be a year of celebrations leading up to the agency’s 50th birthday.
INNOVATION: House Republicans are hosting an event to showcase technologies they say will “strengthen our energy security, power the economic engines of the future, and address climate change.”
The effort comes from Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and members will review a business, effort or institution that has taken strides to reduce emissions, improve energy delivery and tackle global warming.
Republicans have often turned to “innovation” as a solution to global warming, but the word is popular with Democrats too who say solutions from national laboratories, the military and private industry could play a crucial role alongside other measures.
The summit will take place Monday, Dec. 9.
LIKE THE CAPULETS AND THE MONTAGUES: Journalists like to say that if everybody is mad at you, you’re doing a good job.
If the same holds true for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they must be crushing it.
As the deadline for comments on ethanol policy passed just after Thanksgiving, both sides — ethanol producers and the oil and gas industry — have weighed in to let the agency know how unhappy they are with the proposal.
The comments serve as the latest reminder that President Trump is in a tough spot when it comes to pleasing two sides of what he sees as his base–the fossil fuel industry that fits into his energy dominance strategy versus farmers that may be waffling on casting a 2020 vote for him after being hit hard by the trade war.
If there’s a possible compromise, it’s not clear what it might be.
Ethanol producers want the oil industry as a whole to blend in any gallons of ethanol small refineries are exempted from using.
“Under this policy refiners that meet their blending requirements would be unfairly forced to bear the burden of those who don’t,” the American Petroleum Institute’s Frank Macchiarola told reporters in a call Monday.
Ethanol producers want all the gallons to be blended in, regardless of who does it, arguing the EPA has skirted the law and reduced ethanol demand by giving out waivers that allow small refiners to skip blending in fuels without finding another plant to add it in.
But they’re unhappy with the EPA’s latest proposal because it relies on using government estimates to determine how much ethanol remaining refineries must blend in, rather than relying on the actual figure.
That distinction doesn’t matter much to the oil industry, who argue compliant refineries shouldn’t have to pick up the slack of others’ regardless of what formula is used.
The comments come as EPA is on a tight deadline to set ethanol policy for 2020.
Whatever rule comes out, the oil industry says it’s likely to head to court. The ethanol industry said it would likewise consider legal action.
ON TAP TOMORROW:
It’s a light day as Congress eases back into the work week.
No environment hearing on the House side, and over in the Senate, the Environment and Public Works Committee will meet with Robert J. Feitel, who has been nominated to be inspector general of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY:
-Oh, Great! There Are High Levels of “Forever Chemicals” in the State’s Fertilizer, Boston Magazine reports.
-Southern States Split in Response to EPA’s Coal Ash Rule Rollbacks, Stateline reports.
-Colorado rethinks dam safety as climate change heightens risk for state’s 27 “unsatisfactory” structures, The Denver Post reports.
-Pennsylvania boosts aid for clean water near military bases, the Associated Press reports.
ICYMI: Stories from today and over the break…
Boris Johnson skips climate debate, gets replaced with ice sculpture
Astronomers discover black hole three times larger than researchers thought possible
Pelosi heading to Madrid for UN climate change convention
Leonardo DiCaprio denies Brazil president’s claim he funded Amazon fire
Scottish organization warns of plastic waste after finding 220 pounds of debris in dead whale