Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R40669/ [From summary] The Energy and Water Development appropriations bill provides funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and a number of independent agencies. Key budgetary issues for FY2010 involving these programs may include: • … Continue reading »
Posted on February 16, 2010 …
Nuclear Energy Policy
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/RL33558/ [From summary] Nuclear energy issues facing Congress include federal incentives for new commercial reactors, radioactive waste management policy, research and development priorities, power plant safety and regulation, nuclear weapons proliferation, and security against terrorist attacks…
Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R41027/ [From summary] Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants is a focus of many proposals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. One option is to replace some coal power with natural gas generation, a relatively low carbon source of electricity, by increasing the power output from currently underutilized natural gas plants. This … Continue reading »
Coal Combustion Residuals Impoundment Reports
US EPA http://tinyurl.com/o9oanl [From press release] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released action plans developed by 22 electric utility facilities with coal ash impoundments, describing the measures the facilities are taking to make their impoundments safer. The action plans are a response to EPA’s assessment reports on the structural integrity of these impoundments that … Continue reading »
Climate Change and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) : Looking to 2020
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R41049/ [From summary] …A “Phase 1″ trading period began January 1, 2005. A second, Phase 2, trading period began in 2008, covering the period of the Kyoto Protocol. A Phase 3 will begin in 2013 designed to reduce emissions by 21% from 2005 levels. Several positive results from the Phase 1 “learning by … Continue reading »
Agricultural Disaster Assistance
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/RS21212/ [From summary] The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers several permanently authorized programs to help farmers recover financially from a natural disaster, including federal crop insurance, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), and emergency disaster loans. The federal crop insurance program is designed to protect crop producers from unavoidable risks associated … Continue reading »
