As Senate leadership determines the timeline for rolling out and debating a climate and energy package this year, lobbying efforts behind the legislation are ramping up. During today's OnPoint, Scott Segal, co-head of the federal government relations and strategic communications practices at Bracewell & Giuliani and director of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, and Jeremy Symons, senior vice president at the National Wildlife Federation, discuss the politics of cap and trade. Segal and Symons also address the impact that health care reform may have on prospects for a climate and energy package.
As the Senate moves quickly on climate and energy legislation, many opponents of the House-approved Waxman-Markey bill are hoping to see significant changes in the Senate's version. During today's OnPoint, Joe Lucas, senior vice president at the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, discusses the provisions he hopes will change as the legislation makes its way through the Senate. Lucas explains how his industry will shape its lobbying efforts this summer. He also discusses the Obama administration's progress on funding and R&D for carbon capture and storage technology.
Who's lobbying to influence energy and climate legislation in the 111th Congress? E&E examines the players and the money being spent on energy and environmental policy.
There's a new boss at the influence group for smaller natural gas companies.
Jim Hackett, chairman and CEO of Anadarko Petroleum Corp., takes over as chairman of America's Natural Gas Alliance, or ANGA.
The wind industry will hit Congress this week in a lobbying blitz aimed at securing a national requirement that utilities generate some power from renewable sources and stopping a Senate measure that would prohibit federal grants from going to companies that manufacture outside the United States.
About 120 executives and others from companies tied to wind power will meet with lawmakers and their aides. The group is in town for its annual industry meeting but also sees the need to advocate for policies it sees as vital.
The climate package emerging in the Senate will likely open up the last chunk of U.S. coastline closed to drilling and offer states a financial incentive to agree to rigs off their shores.
But the rest of the production portion of the bill remains a mystery as lobbyists for different segments vie to see which sources of energy will win and which will lose.
American Businesses for Clean Energy -- a coalition of companies urging Congress to pass clean-energy and climate legislation -- has surpassed the 2,000 member mark, representatives said today.
Gap Inc., Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. and 20 other companies launched ABCE just four months ago. The coalition is not lobbying for specific legislation, nor is it sending lawmakers a wish list of climate and energy provisions.
Microsoft took a stand against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce yesterday, saying that the business trade group does not represent the technology company's position on climate policy.
| Lobbying spending leaders | ||||
These industries spent the following totals on lobbying in 2009 and in 2008, as compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. The dollar amounts reflect lobbying expenditures on a variety of issues not limited to energy or climate. |
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| Industry sector | 2009 | 2008 | Percent change | Biggest spender in 1st quarter, 2009 |
| Oil & Gas | $168.4 million | $133.4 million | 26.2 | Exxon Mobil, $ 27.4 million |
| Electric Utilities | $144.4 million | $160 million | -9.75 | Southern Co, $13.5 million |
| Chemical & Related Manufacturing | $45.5 million | $50 million | -9 | American Chemistry Council, $7 million |
| Agricultural Services/Products | $34.4 million | $34.3 million | 0.3 | Monsanto Co., $8.7 million |
| Alternate energy production & services | $30.1 million | $22.1 million | 35.8 | American Wind Energy Association., $5 million |
| Mining | $26.1 million | $30.8 million | -15.4 | Peabody Investments, $3.9 million |
| Environment | $22.5 million | $17.3 million | 30 | Nature Conservancy, $2.2 million |
| Coal mining | $14.4 million | $16.7 million | -13.7 | Peabody Investments, $3.9 million |
| Forestry & Forest Products | $13.6 million | $15 million | -8.8 | Weyerhaeuser Co., $3.1 million |
| Natural Gas transmission & distribution | $13.4 million | $12.8 million | 4.5 | Williams Companies, $3.4 million |
| Source: Center for Responsive Politics. | ||||
| 10/12/2009 | LOBBYING: Record spending pays off for Duke Energy |  ClimateWire |
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| 07/23/2009 | CLIMATE: Energy companies opened wallets wide to sway House bill |  Greenwire |
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| 07/16/2009 | LOBBYING: Power industry infighting heats up over climate legislation | ClimateWire |
| 01/18/2010 | LOBBYING: Disclosure rules send some lobbyists underground | Greenwire |
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| 07/27/2009 | LOBBYING: Larry Craig returns to advocate on energy issues |  E&ENews PM |
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| 07/23/2009 | POLITICS: Republican supporters of House climate bill received scant industry support |  E&E Daily |
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| 07/08/2009 | POLITICS: MoveOn launches campaign to strengthen climate bill | E&ENews PM |
| 07/06/2009 | LOBBYING: Ethanol group girds for climate battle, hires two with key Hill connections | E&ENews PM |
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| 06/30/2009 | LOBBYING: Can farm groups kill the climate bill? | ClimateWire |
| 12/04/2009 | EPA: New policy on lobbyists could spur shake-up for advisory panel | Greenwire |
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| 11/30/2009 | LOBBYING: White House limits influence on advisory panels | Greenwire |
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| 10/12/2009 | LOBBYING: Ecosystem advocates plot push for restoration cash | Greenwire |
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| 07/28/2009 | LOBBYING: National Climate Service still seeks a home -- and an identity | ClimateWire |
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