{ "id": "R42756", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42756", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 456234, "date": "2016-09-30", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:29:34.685786", "title": "Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues", "summary": "Energy policy in the United States has focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment. In pursuit of those goals, government programs have been developed to improve the efficiency with which energy is utilized, to promote the domestic production of conventional energy sources, and to develop new energy sources, particularly renewable sources. \nImplementing these programs has been controversial because of varying importance given to different aspects of energy policy. For some, dependence on imports of foreign energy, particularly from the Persian Gulf, is the primary concern; for others, the continued use of fossil fuels, whatever their origin, is most important. The contribution of burning fossil fuels to global climate change is particularly controversial. Another dichotomy is between those who see government intervention as a positive force and those who view it as a necessary evil at best, to be restricted as much as possible.\nIn the 114th Congress, both the House and Senate are considering broad energy legislation, as well as specific topics of key interest. On April 20, 2016, the Senate passed S. 2012, the Energy Policy and Modernization Act. On December 3, 2015, the House passed H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. On May 25, 2016, the House passed an amended version of S. 2012 which contains the text of H.R. 8, as well as the text of several other energy and natural resources-related bills. The conference committee met for the first time on September 8. Both bills would address a variety of energy topics, including energy efficiency in federal buildings, data centers, manufacturing, and schools; water conservation/efficiency; electric grid cybersecurity; and review of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The House bill also includes topics such as electric grid physical security and study of electricity markets; the Senate bill also includes provisions on helium and critical minerals, and electric grid energy storage, and loan programs.\nMany energy topics were also addressed at the end of 1st Session of the 114th Congress as part of the FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113). Among other provisions, the act included two major energy provisions:\nRepeal of the limitation on exports of U.S.-produced crude oil under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; and \nExtension of several energy tax incentives, including the production tax credits (PTC) for wind and solar electricity, electric vehicle tax credits, and incentives for advanced biofuel production.\nEarly in the first session of the 114th Congress, the House and Senate passed the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (S. 1), which was vetoed by President Obama on February 24, 2015. The bill would have immediately approved this controversial pipeline project. On November 6, 2015, the Department of State determined that the pipeline would \u201cnot serve the national interest of the United States,\u201d and rejected TransCanada\u2019s permit application.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42756", "sha1": "55d0a0444acd336fd464750e817ae8e6ee6a6cc0", "filename": "files/20160930_R42756_55d0a0444acd336fd464750e817ae8e6ee6a6cc0.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42756", "sha1": "a1fa86566d5bcdc281655cef8806c6ba0b87f929", "filename": "files/20160930_R42756_a1fa86566d5bcdc281655cef8806c6ba0b87f929.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4907, "name": "Energy Policy" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 436820, "date": "2015-01-05", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T19:43:50.156778", "title": "Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues", "summary": "Energy policy in the United States has focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment. In pursuit of those goals, government programs have been developed to improve the efficiency with which energy is utilized, to promote the domestic production of conventional energy sources, and to develop new energy sources, particularly renewable sources. \nImplementing these programs has been controversial because of varying importance given to different aspects of energy policy. For some, dependence on imports of foreign oil, particularly from the Persian Gulf, is the primary concern; for others, the continued use of fossil fuels, whatever their origin, is most important. The contribution of burning fossil fuels to global climate change is particularly controversial. Another dichotomy is between those who see government intervention as a positive force and those who view it as a necessary evil at best.\nIn the 113th Congress, energy legislation was generally focused on specific topics, as opposed to broad legislation like that enacted in 1992, 2005, and 2007. Congress enacted statutes on generally less controversial topics including hydroelectric licensing and permitting and pipeline safety documentation (P.L. 113-30). The 113th Congress also enacted the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA, P.L. 113-121), omnibus reauthorization of water resource activities. \nThe Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013, S. 2262 and H.R. 1616, would have promoted energy efficiency in buildings and industry by encouraging adoption of uniform building codes and authorized a grant program for state energy efficiency programs. Several versions of the bill saw committee and/or floor action in the Senate, but S. 2262 failed a cloture vote on May 12, 2014. On March 5, 2014, the House passed H.R. 2126, which contained some of the provisions in S. 2262, by a vote of 375-36.\nH.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, would have declared that a presidential permit would not be required for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The bill passed the House on May 22, 2013, by a vote of 241-175. The issue of approving Keystone XL is closely connected to the question of global climate change, since opponents argue that Canadian oil sands production contributes excessive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. On November 11, 2014, a related bill, S. 2280, failed a cloture vote in the Senate 59-41.\nA bill promoting increased offshore oil and gas exploration (H.R. 2231) passed the House on June 28, 2013. In November 2013 the House passed three energy related bills. H.R. 2728 would have prohibited the Bureau of Land Management from enforcing rules to regulate hydraulic fracturing in any state that has its own regulations on the activity. H.R. 1900 would have required the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to respond to permit applications for new natural gas pipelines within one year. H.R. 1965 was aimed at increasing on-shore leasing of oil and gas resources on federal land. On March 6, 2014, the House passed H.R. 3826, a bill to block the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting power plant carbon emissions.\nOn September 18, 2014, the House passed H.R. 2 by a vote of 226-191. The bill contained provisions from several bills, including H.R. 3, H.R. 1900, H.R. 1965, H.R. 2231, and H.R. 3826. \nMany of the issues raised in the 113th Congress are expected to remain on the legislative agenda at the start of the 114th Congress.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42756", "sha1": "746915c9caa4117f059b7d29370b30637beb878a", "filename": "files/20150105_R42756_746915c9caa4117f059b7d29370b30637beb878a.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42756", "sha1": "cfd5c012ee906498f8a990437d15145fdac40e1f", "filename": "files/20150105_R42756_cfd5c012ee906498f8a990437d15145fdac40e1f.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 2481, "name": "Oil and Natural Gas Markets" }, { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4402, "name": "Energy Law and Policy" } ] }, { "source": "University of North 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energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20140321_R42756_11263ed4eafffa8f0c643205d336efd6aeefb008.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20140321_R42756_11263ed4eafffa8f0c643205d336efd6aeefb008.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy policy", "name": "Energy policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy law and legislation", "name": "Energy law and legislation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy tax credits", "name": "Energy tax credits" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc272033/", "id": "R42756_2013Nov29", "date": "2013-11-29", "retrieved": "2014-02-03T19:46:03", "title": "Energy Policy: 113th Congress Issues", "summary": "This report discusses the energy policy in the United States that is focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20131129_R42756_ca2011265c503a41dacfadf6e167585553d7ad79.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20131129_R42756_ca2011265c503a41dacfadf6e167585553d7ad79.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy policy", "name": "Energy policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy law and legislation", "name": "Energy law and legislation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy tax credits", "name": "Energy tax credits" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc227812/", "id": "R42756_2013Jul25", "date": "2013-07-25", "retrieved": "2013-11-05T18:07:05", "title": "Energy Policy: 113th Congress Issues", "summary": "Report that discusses the energy policy in the United States, which is focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130725_R42756_1f9fbde62899d8ea77b3f729bb190b4b3f2cf817.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130725_R42756_1f9fbde62899d8ea77b3f729bb190b4b3f2cf817.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy policy", "name": "Energy policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental research", "name": "Environmental research" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy law and legislation", "name": "Energy law and legislation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy security", "name": "Energy security" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy prices", "name": "Energy prices" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries 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The report covers topics including energy conservation, efficiency, supply, prices and legislation.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130103_R42756_8aa276b737c92b64360f55eb6ad20819b66fdb3d.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130103_R42756_8aa276b737c92b64360f55eb6ad20819b66fdb3d.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy policy", "name": "Energy policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental research", "name": "Environmental research" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy security", "name": "Energy security" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy prices", "name": "Energy prices" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy law and legislation", "name": "Energy law and legislation" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822657/", "id": "R42756_2012Nov08", "date": "2012-11-08", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Energy Policy: 112th Congress Issues and Legislative Proposals", "summary": "This report discusses the energy policy in the United States, which has focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20121108_R42756_8f18063e3bc0a45141d24e664e2e5e2c467a6c7a.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20121108_R42756_8f18063e3bc0a45141d24e664e2e5e2c467a6c7a.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Economic policy", "name": "Economic policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy law and legislation", "name": "Energy law and legislation" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc122263/", "id": "R42756_2012Sep24", "date": "2012-09-24", "retrieved": "2012-11-30T09:28:34", "title": "Energy Policy: Election Year Issues and Legislative Proposals", "summary": "This report looks at how controversies stemming from various importance given to different aspects of United States energy policy affect the legislation on energy policy, particularly during election years.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120924_R42756_9fa5a8328ebd8f2bedd23dbe34e3e5dd9ed9adf3.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120924_R42756_9fa5a8328ebd8f2bedd23dbe34e3e5dd9ed9adf3.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy", "name": "Energy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Energy policy", "name": "Energy policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Elections", "name": "Elections" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Political platforms", "name": "Political platforms" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Appropriations", "Energy Policy" ] }