I have decided to pursue bill H.R. 803 in the 111th Congress as the topic of my final policy paper topic. This bill proposes to amend titles 23 and 49, United States Code, to require metropolitan planning organizations to consider greenhouse gas emissions in long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs. This bill known as the "Green Transit Act" has very little wording, but the potential to make a large impact. The actual wording of the bill, as seen below, only amends two existing pieces of legislation and is not a substantively new piece of legislation.
(a) Highway Planning- Section 134(c)(2) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following sentence: `Such plans and TIPs shall be developed after consideration of emissions of greenhouse gases (as defined in section 211(o)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(1)) and shall provide for reductions in such emissions.'
(b) Public Transportation Planning- Section 5303(c)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following sentence: `Such plans and TIPs shall be developed after consideration of emissions of greenhouse gases (as defined in section 211(o)(1) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(1)) and shall provide for reductions in such emissions.'
The co-sponsors of the bill are
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3],
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1],
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7],
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] and
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1]. As expected these are representatives from more liberal state, in this case states located in the pacific northwest and California. What is surprising is that the bill's sponsor is
Rep Doggett, Lloyd from Texas. Texas, the land of expansive highways and oil, does not typically conjure images of environmental activism. Currently, H.R. 803 has been referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
In essence this bill will require metropolitan planning organizations to consider greenhouse gas emissions in long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs. Unfortunately, this bill doesn't specify any caps or limitations on greenhouse gases, but it is certainly a move in the right direction.
2 comments:
Erin and Shaun,
I have done some research and this is what I have found up to now:
The H.R. 890 Bill amends title VI of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. The bill wants to establish a Federal renewable electricity standard for certain electric utilities, and for other purposes.
The bill is also known as: the ‘American Renewable Energy Act’.
The bill sets standards for energy affiliate. The term ‘affiliate’ when used in relation to a person which owns or controls or is under common ownership or control with that controls the energy source or production. It regulates biomass in common and federal land. It defines the incentive motivations for generating in these lands (credits, funds, etc.) renewable electricity, which means each of the following:
‘(A) wind energy;
‘(B) solar energy;
‘(C) geothermal energy;
‘(D) combustion of biomass or landfill gas;
‘(E) qualified hydropower; or
‘(F) marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy, as that term is defined in section 632 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
What I understand is that the bill establishes a program to implement and enforce the requirements and (1) preserve the integrity, and incorporate best practices, of existing State renewable electricity programs; (2) rely upon existing and emerging State or regional tracking systems that issue and track non-Federal renewable electricity credits; and ‘(3) cooperate with the States to facilitate coordination between State and Federal renewable electricity programs and to minimize administrative burdens and costs to retail electric suppliers.
The goal of this bill is:
1. For each of calendar years 2012 through 2039, each retail electric supplier shall, not later than April 1 of the following calendar year, submit to the Secretary a quantity of Federal renewable electricity credits equal to the retail electric supplier’s base amount for the calendar year multiplied by the required annual percentage set forth in paragraph (2).
2. For each of calendar years 2012 through 2039, the required annual percentage shall be as follows:
2012 6.0
2013 6.0
2014 8.5
2015 8.5
2016 11.0
2017 11.0
2018 14.0
2019 14.0
2020 17.5
2021 17.5
2022 21.0
2023 21.0
2024 23.0
2025 through 2039 25.0
I find your article interesting. It kinda hits a little close to home since we have notice such requirements to mitigate greenhouse gases come to light. I will be interested to hear how this requirement can me quanfified for implementation.
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