rssMidterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the Environment
Wednesday, November 03, 2010 at 9:41 am
- 25 Comments
Here’s a quick recap of the midterm results from last night that have implications for energy/climate/environmental policy.
It was mostly bad news for House Democrats who voted for the chamber’s cap-and-trade bill. The two most stinging defeats were Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who worked furiously behind the scenes to secure benefits for his coal-dependent state in the bill before finally giving his “yes” vote, and Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), who became somewhat of a celebrity on the left for standing by the more liberal wing of his party on a number of key votes, including cap-and-trade. Boucher, from Virginia’s 9th district, lost to his Republican opponent, Morgan Griffith, and Perriello, despite a big last-minute push by environmentalists and President Obama himself, lost to state Sen. Robert Hurt (R).
Politico ran the numbers this morning. At least 12 freshman Democrats who voted for the cap-and-trade bill lost their re-election bids, while at least seven (I noted Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) last night) won, with some races still too close to call. In total, Politico notes, more than 30 Democrats who voted for the House climate bill fell to their Republican opponents last night.
In the West Virginia Senate race, Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, managed to eke out a victory over Republican John Raese. While Democrats can technically put Manchin in their column, he campaigned against nearly every significant Obama administration policy, including cap-and-trade. In one now-infamous ad, he shot the House climate bill with a shotgun.
But there was some good news for environmentalists last night. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, won her reelection bid against Carly Fiorina. Boxer has always been a strong advocate for environmental protections, but her job is likely to get harder in the next Congress. She has already been accused of unwillingness to reach across the aisle, but with more Republicans in the Senate, she’ll have no choice if she wants to pass energy and climate bills.
At the same time, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) survived a tough race against Tea Party darling Sharron Angle. The big question going forward now is what will Reid do on energy and climate legislation next Congress. By now, it’s common knowledge that it will be next to impossible to pass comprehensive climate legislation in the next two years. So it seems Reid will focus on a series of low-hanging-fruit provisions that are popular on both sides of the aisle, including bills to incentivize electric vehicles, improve energy efficiency and weatherize homes.
The fate of two big-ticket items for environmentalists — a renewable energy standard and a much-delayed oil spill response bill — remains unclear. While there’s still time in the lame-duck session to try to pass both provisions, Republicans have more incentive to block the bills until next Congress, as they’ll have more sway later. There is Republican support for an RES, which would require that a certain percentage of the country’s electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar, but GOP gains in the Senate could make it more likely that Republicans will push to add nuclear power and coal with carbon capture technology to the mix, a nightmare scenario for environmentalists.
It’s even less clear what will happen with the oil spill response bill. More than six months after the massive Gulf oil spill, Congress has yet to pass significant legislation to overhaul offshore drilling (on the regulatory side, the Interior Department has issued its own new drilling rules). A number of contentious issues, like how liable an oil company is for damages from a spill, are sure to take on new significance now that more Republicans are in the Senate.
In other key midterm results, Proposition 23, a California ballot initiative that would suspend the state’s landmark climate change law, failed. It’s a huge win for environmentalists, who funneled millions of dollars into the “No on Prop 23″ campaign, pitting themselves against two Texas oil refiners that campaigned heavily for passage of the initiative. California’s climate law is viewed by environmentalists as the gold standard. Passage of the ballot initiative would have been the icing on the cake of a disappointing year for climate activists.
At the same time, it looks like another California ballot initiative, Proposition 26, will pass. The measure would require a two-thirds majority vote in the state legislature and in local government bodies to impose new fees on industry. Environmentalists say the proposition will make it more difficult to implement key environmental rules, including parts of the state’s climate law. In the last days of midterm election campaigning, as it became clear that Prop 23 would fail, activists’ attention shifted to Prop 26. But it was apparently too late to make a significant difference at the polls.
It’s also worth noting that the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) was defeated last night. Obsertar worked for years to reform pipeline safety and was in the process of developing new legislation to do so in the aftermath of a massive oil pipeline spill in Michigan and a natural gas pipeline explosion in California.
Two other key Senate races remain too close to call this morning. In the Colorado Senate race, Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and Republican Ken Buck are still neck and neck. As I noted yesterday in my midterm preview, the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club have trashed Buck in ads, highlighting his comments questioning whether climate change is man-made. Environmentalists have made Buck the poster child of Republican climate skeptics running this cycle. For his part, Buck’s spokesman said his official position is this: “Ken believes climate change is occurring, but that it’s natural more than man-made.”
Bennet does not support the House version of cap-and-trade, but his campaign said recently that he would support a “well-thought-out, market-based bill.” Buck’s campaign jumped on the comments, saying Bennet’s position on the issue is unclear.
Don’t hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. Murkowski appears to be winning, according to early results. Murkowski is the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Though she has opposed cap-and-trade bills in the past, she has a history of working closely with Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), the panel’s chairman, on key energy bills, including the comprehensive energy bill they passed in 2009.
Follow Andrew Restuccia on Twitter
25 Comments
Trackback posted November 3, 2010 @ 9:50 am
Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the ……
Here at World Spinner we are debating the same thing……
Trackback posted November 3, 2010 @ 9:59 am
How do you spell Murkowski?…
This is either the one of the best pranks Fox News has ever pulled, or one of their worst copy-editing mistakes.This morning, to kick off their election night recap, Fox & Friends interviewed Sen. Lisa Murkowski from Anchorage about the status of t…
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 10:13 am
[...] Alaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. MurkowskiAlaska Senate Race Results – Don't hold your breath for results of the Alaska Senate race between incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), Tea Party favorite Joe Miller (R) and Democrat Scott McAdams. Murkowski The Book of Eli (2010)The Book of Eli is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by the Hughes brothers, written by Gary Whitta, and starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis. Filming began in February 2009 and took place in New Mexico. Alcon Entertainment financed and co-produced the film with Silver Pictures, while it was distributed by Warner Bros. in the US, and Columbia Pictures in some international Read More » Clash of the Titans (2010)Clash of the Titans is an upcoming 2010 fantasy film which is a remake of the 1981 film of the same name, itself loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010. It was later announced that the film would be converted to 3-D and released on April 2, 2010. The Clash of the Titans Read More » Alice in Wonderland (2010)Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and stars Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen and Stephen Fry. It is an extension of the Lewis Carroll novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film uses a technique of combining live action and Read More » Toy Story 3 (2010)Toy Story 3 is an upcoming American 2010 computer-animated 3-D film, being produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the Toy Story series and is scheduled for release on June 18, 2010, in the United States. Lee Unkrich, who edited the previous films and co-directed the second, takes over as director. Andy (John Morris) is heading off to Read More » The Expendables (2010)The Expendables is an upcoming ensemble action film written by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, and directed by Stallone. Filming began on March 28, 2009, in Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and Los Angeles and is expected to be released on August 13, 2010. The film pays tribute to the blockbuster action films of the 1980s and early ’90s, and stars an array of action veterans from those decades Read More » The Last Airbender (2010)The Last Airbender is an upcoming 2010 Action, adventure-fantasy film based on the first season of the highly successful animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. It is a live-action film adaptation of the animated television series produced by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies. It is planned to be the first film in the The Last Airbender trilogy. The series, influenced by Asian Read More » Iron Man 2 (2010)Iron Man 2 is an upcoming 2010 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008’s Iron Man, and the second film in a planned trilogy. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer, also known as the superhero, Iron Read More » The Graves (2010)The Graves is a horror film due for release in 2010. Described as a “supernatural survival shocker,” it is written and directed by veteran comic book creator Brian Pulido and produced by the Ronalds Brothers. The story centers on two sisters (Clare Grant and Jillian Murray) who visit the Skull City Mine roadside attraction in the desert. Their plight turns into a fight for survival against Read More » Tron Legacy (2010)Tron Legacy is a forthcoming 2010 science fiction film. It is a sequel to the 1982 film Tron. Joseph Kosinski made his feature film directorial debut with Tron Legacy, while the previous film director, Steven Lisberger, returned as a producer. Jeff Bridges reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, and Bruce Boxleitner his roles as Alan Bradley and Tron, while Garrett Hedlund portrays Flynn’s now-adult Read More » Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action-adventure computer and video game published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 6, 2003 and is a continuation of the landmark MS-DOS and Macintosh game series Prince of Persia, created by Jordan Mechner in 1989. The Sands of Time, developed internally at Ubisoft Montreal, successfully captures the mechanics of the original platformer Read More » Recent Movies [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 10:18 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Will Hull, MPA, Chael Montgomery, Al Schwarz, Andrew Restuccia, WashIndependent and others. WashIndependent said: Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the Environment http://bit.ly/c8YSPx [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 11:25 am
[...] more from the original source: Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the Environment – The Washington Indepe… Tags: election-means · energy · last-night · midterm · midterm-wrapup [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 11:41 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the EnvironmentThe Washington IndependentHere's a quick recap of the midterm results from last night that have implications for energy/climate/environmental …and more » [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: Whаt thе Election Means fοr Energy аnd thе … [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 2:39 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Comment posted November 3, 2010 @ 1:58 pm
Manchin shot the bill with a rifle. A shotgun uses exploding shells.
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 3:19 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 3:24 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 4:21 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the Environment « The Washington Indepe… [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 5:54 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Comment posted November 3, 2010 @ 6:45 pm
It will be interesting to see the effects of the election results on whether we will see a federal renewable portfolio standard (RPS). Many people suggest that greater Republican representation will take even more of the “wind out of the sails” of the push for a federal RPS. Perhaps we will see more carrots (e.g. tax incentives, grants) and fewer sticks like mandatory purchase obligations.
Other interesting questions arise on the state level, where a similar rising tide of Republicans may seek to alter state RPS programs. Yet California voters rejected the proposition that would have suspended the action of California's climate change bill. Still, the results of yesterday's election will extend to state-level renewable policies as well.
I write a blog about energy matters, ranging from renewable energy policy to dam removals, and offshore wind energy to transmission projects. For example, I recently wrote about renewable energy credits and state RPS programs:
http://energypolicyupdate.blogspot.com/2010/10/october-20-2010-renewable-energy.html
You can follow my blog here:
http://www.energypolicyupdate.blogspot.com/
Todd Griset
Energy Blog
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 10:13 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 3, 2010 @ 11:37 pm
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 4, 2010 @ 12:40 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 4, 2010 @ 3:57 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 4, 2010 @ 4:35 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 4, 2010 @ 6:41 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the Environment « The Washington Indepe… [...]
Pingback posted November 4, 2010 @ 8:05 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Pingback posted November 4, 2010 @ 8:14 am
[...] Midterm Wrapup: What the Election Means for Energy and the … [...]
Trackback posted November 6, 2010 @ 6:17 am
Buying Replacement Windows For Your Home…
I found your entry interesting thus I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog :)…
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
