Regulatory Activity

Department of Energy Cutting Energy Development Regulations

This follows our earlier report highlighting the Trump Administration’s recent memo with specifics as to how the President expects agencies to carry out his previously issued energy Executive Order (EO) 13783 – “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth”. EO 13783 directs agencies to identify regulations that would “burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources, with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy. The President’s memo clarifies the EO and adds renewable energy to the group defined as domestically produced energy resources. The Department of Energy is seeking to identify any existing DOE rules that are obsolete, unnecessary, unjustified, or simply no longer make sense and is soliciting written comments on or before July 14, 2017.

EPA Stays Landfill Emissions Rules 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has imposed a 90-day stay until August 29 on subparts of two final rules concerning landfill performance standards and emissions reductions.  

Legislative Activity

This Week’s Hearings:

• On Tuesday, June 6, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing to consider the following agency nominations:

  • The Honorable David Bernhardt to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior

  • The Honorable Dan Brouillette to be Deputy Secretary of Energy

  • Mr. Neil Chatterjee to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

  • The Honorable Robert Powelson to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

• On Wednesday, June 7, the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, will hold a hearing titled “Oversight Hearing on the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program.”

• On Wednesday, June 7, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing to consider the following agency nominations:

  • Kristine Svinicki to be reappointed as Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

  • Annie Caputo and David Wright to be Members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

  • Susan Bodine to be Assistant Administrator of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of EPA

• On Thursday, June 8, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands has scheduled a hearing titled “Oversight Hearing on Burdensome Litigation and Federal Bureaucratic Roadblocks to Manage our Nation’s Overgrown, Fire-Prone National Forests.” The witnesses will be announced.

• On Thursday, June 8, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies has scheduled a budget hearing. The witness will be:

  • The Honorable Ryan Zinke, Secretary, Department of the Interior

• On Thursday, June 8, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing to study cost reductions in emerging energy technologies.  The witnesses will be announced.

• On Saturday, June 10, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a field hearing in Cordova, Alaska titled “Innovation in Action – Microgrids and Hybrid Energy Systems.”