DC Hill Update 6/14/10: With Murkowski defeated, Senate turns to climate and energy legislation

Last week we won an important victory by beating Senator Lisa Murkowski's "Dirty Air Act" 53-47. While it's good that Murkowski was defeated, it's outrageous that a measure like this -- which would have been the equivalent of allowing the Gulf oil disaster to gush for another 250 years -- made it to the Senate floor. This week, the Senate will discuss proactive responses to our energy challenges, including the drilling disaster and our overall reliance on dirty fossil fuels.

Senate Timeline:

• 6/17: Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) meets with Democratic caucus to discuss "comprehensive energy legislation"
• 7/3-7/11: Independence Day recess
• 8/7-9/12: August recess

Murkowski's Dirty Air Act Defeated 53-47

On Thursday, the Senate rejected Senator Murkowski's (R-AK) Resolution of Disapproval (S.J. Res. 26) 53-47. If passed, Senate Joint Resolution 26 would have blocked Clean Air Act regulations for cars and big polluters, thereby increasing our dependence on dirty fuels like oil and coal. The entire Republican caucus with Murkowski, including three that were not original co-sponsors: Senators Brown (R-MA), Collins (R-ME), and Snowe (R-ME) . Six moderate Democrats also voted for the bill: Senators Landrieu (D-LA), Lincoln (D-AR), Nelson (D-NE), Pryor (D-AR), Bayh (D-IN), and Rockefeller (D-WV). Click here for the full vote count. And also, check out 1Sky's response on the issue.

The 1Sky policy team created state by state factsheets based on our field Dirty Energy Hunt pictures from each state to call for a ‘No’ vote on Murkowski’s Dirty Air Act last week, and hand delivered those fact sheets to Senate offices. 1Sky visited over 50 Senate offices with our photos and fact sheets and heard from some that 1Sky is the only organization to have had people out in front of coal plants defending the Clean Air Act and linking all of it to the BP spill.

The Obama Administration threatened to veto the Murkowski's resolution if passed. Senator Rockefeller (D-WV) has introduced a similar bill that would block the Clean Air Act for two years. Senators Nelson (D-NE) and Webb (D-VA) joined 4 others as co-sponsors last week. Representative Rahall (D-WV) introduced a complementary bill in the House, and his colleagues have introduced 6 additional bills that would gut the Clean Air Act. Check out 1Sky's blog on the Rockefeller bill.

Senate to focus on comprehensive energy legislation in the wake of the BP drilling disaster

Senate Committee chairmen met with Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) on Tuesday to discuss the path forward on "comprehensive energy legislation." While no decisions have been made yet, Reid's statement confirmed that they will move forward: "There are a variety of opinions within our caucus about how to develop a bipartisan bill that can gain the necessary support, but there is also resolve to move forward with this effort." Check out the full statement from Reid.

Senator Lugar (R-IN) introduced his own energy bill last week alongside Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Overall, the bill contains many major shortcomings: it fails to make significant cuts in carbon pollution, fix our dependence on fossil fuels, and clean energy deployment would be comparable to business as usual. The Unions of Concerned Scientists (UCS) did a great analysis of Senator Lugar's bill. Despite it's shortcomings overall, Lugar's bill does contain strong efficiency provisions like building codes. White House Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel recently suggested that Reid's overall energy package will take a 'buffet approach' with respect to other pieces of climate and energy legislation. "There's enough in each [bill for] a serious and comprehensive energy bill. And you can do it this year." 1Sky will continue encouraging the Senate to pass the most ambitious bill possible -- a bill that puts a price on carbon while continuing to hold big polluters accountable via the Clean Air Act.

BP oil disaster update

BP placed a loose-fitting cap over the gushing pipe last weekend. The current cap apparatus allows BP to collect and process up to 15,000 barrels per day to a ship at the surface. Recently, the U.S. Geological Survey admitted that the BP gusher is spilling twice as much oil as previously thought into the ocean. The well is gushing 20,000 to 40,000 barrels of oil a day according to a team of government scientists. The latest USGS estimate is still far lower than some of the worst case scenarios floating among the scientific community. Woods Hole scientists suggest the well could be leaking as much as 50,000 barrels a day, and a researcher from the University of California, Santa Barbara said the well may be spewing what the company once called its worst case scenario — 100,000 barrels a day. The best chance to stop the oil geyser are the two relief wells currently being drilled. The wells are scheduled to be finished in August, but they could be delayed by hurricane season. Drillers need to intersect the original well, about eight inches wide, through a mile of water and more than two miles of rock.

Over the past few weeks 1Sky led a Dirty Energy Hunt: volunteers out in the field have been documenting sources of dirty energy in their backyards and calling for clean energy. Many volunteers also connected the action with the Deep Water oil spill by taking ‘thumbs down’ photos at BP stations. Altogether, we have received over 225 photos from 25 states. You can see some of them here.

Key primary elections last week

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) narrowly defeated Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter in the Arkansas Senate primary last Tuesday. This election was a showcase for progressive disappointment in moderate Democrats, with Halter enthusiastically backed by environmental and labor organizations. Lincoln was an early co-sponsor of the Dirty Air Act, and has long been sympathetic to corporations and utilities when crafting energy policy. Lincoln will face conservative Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) this November. Ex-CEO of HP, Carly Fiorina clinched the GOP nomination for the California Senate race will face Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) this November. Her ad attacking Barbara Boxer's climate change position foreshadows further conflict in the lead up to the general election.