Articles by Kate Sheppard

Alaska Dem. kicks off Congress with call for ANWR drilling

Newly sworn-in Alaska Sen. Mark Begich (D) on Friday kicked off the 111th Congress by attacking Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) for reintroducing a bill to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Begich has been bullish on opening the reserve for drilling. In a press release he accused Lieberman of "knee-jerk reaction" to please greens:

"Sen. Lieberman's ANWR legislation is another misguided attempt at locking up ANWR to appease environmentalists across the country," he said. "What this country needs is a comprehensive energy plan dealing with oil and gas development, as well as renewable energy resources, to ease our dependence on foreign oil. Domestic production including the enormous oil and gas reserves believed to lie beneath the Arctic Refuge must be a part of that policy."

Hmmm, sound like anyone else we know from Alaska?

Most importantly, this is further proof that an increased Democratic majority in the Senate doesn't mean it will be all rainbows and sunshine when it comes to environmental policy. Major differences exist within the caucus and are already flaring up.

(Via Politico.)

Push continues for more green infrastructure funding in the economic-stimulus package

Senate Democrats on Sunday convinced President-elect Barack Obama to add more money for clean-energy tax credits to his economic-stimulus plan, doubling available funds to at least $20 billion.

Horse-trading is sure to continue as the Obama team and congressional leaders try to agree on what should be included in a package that could cost more than $775 billion. The initial Obama plan didn't include details on how much would go toward infrastructure and didn't specifically mention mass-transit funding, though it called for doubling the production of renewable energy and retrofitting the majority of federal buildings. Some enviros and transit advocates are concerned that the stimulus plan could put massive amounts of money into traditional infrastructure without taking into account the long-term environmental impacts.

And in his Saturday radio/YouTube address, Obama said the plan would create nearly half a million jobs through clean energy investments, including doubling the amount of renenwable energy used in the country and retrofitting the majority of federal buildings. "These made-in-America jobs building solar panels and wind turbines, developing fuel-efficient cars and new energy technologies pay well, and they can’t be outsourced," said Obama (who still hasn't explained exactly why wind turbines and solar panels can't be constructed elsewhere).

Green(ish) news from our nation's capitol

• Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wants to get funding for FutureGen -- the proposed "zero emissions" coal plant that the Bush administration axed due to ballooning costs -- into the stimulus package. Durbin said Thursday that he got a "positive response" when he discussed it with energy secretary nominee Steven Chu. His state-mate Barack Obama pushed to revive the plant back when he was just a senator.

• At a hearing on Thursday, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) announced the newest Democratic members of his committee (though their appointments aren't yet final): Evan Bayh (Ind.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), and two new senators, Mark Udall (Colorado) and Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire).

• It's looking increasingly likely that Wall Street big-wig Steve Rattner, who works for the private investment firm Quadrangle Group, will be named as Obama's "car czar."

Labor nominee Hilda Solis talks green jobs at her confirmation hearing

The topic of green jobs cropped up at Friday's confirmation hearing for Labor nominee Hilda Solis before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee. From Solis's opening statement:

If confirmed, I will work with President-elect Obama, my colleagues in the Cabinet and you to reinvest in and restructure workforce development and ensure a strong unemployment insurance system. This includes promoting what we now know as green-collar jobs. These are jobs that will provide economic security for our middle-class families while reducing our nation's dependency on foreign oil and resources. These are jobs that will also stay in the United States. My hope is that these jobs will not be outsourced.

And later in the hearing:

I know in the state of California we are looking very anxiously to see that we can help rebuild our schools, help to transform our transportation system to help reduce air pollution and congestion, and get people to work on time ... I think the greatest asset that I see here sitting before you is to promote the green-collar jobs and trying to make that opportunity available, not just to those that are already looking for jobs, but those that want to have an opportunity for a career change.

And then this soft-ball exchange with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.):

Sen. Sanders: Now, let me begin by just asking you a few questions, and the first one is going to be a very, very tough question. You helped create in the House the Green Jobs Workforce Training Program, and I worked with you in the Senate, along with Senator Clinton. Now, on that very tough question, will you help us move that program along, the one that you helped create?

(Laughter.)

Rep. Solis: Yes.