OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Climate battles on budget, and an SEC oil rule showdown

{mosads}The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will hear oral arguments over the rule that oil and business groups are seeking to overturn. Click here, here and here for earlier coverage.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out these stories that ran on E2-Wire Thursday …

— GOP lawmaker wants Senate on record about carbon taxes

— Senate budget measure would forbid considering emissions from exports

— Pro-Obama group signals more emphasis on climate, green policies
— Panel approves Obama’s Interior pick

— Interior will take ‘second look’ at allowing road through Alaskan refuge
— Markey touts response to BP oil spill in second ad

TWEETS OF THE DAY:

All courtesy of Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas), who goes by the Twitter handle @SteveStockmanTX:

“The best thing about the Earth is if you poke holes in it oil and gas come out.”

“Funny thing about liberals hating oil and gas – they’re expressing it on computers made from petrochemicals. Why do liberals hate science?”

“There is reportedly $1 trillion in oil off the coast of California. But liberal hatred of science and human progress keeps them bankrupt”

“Energy-rich oil propelled civilization into the 21st Century. But liberals want to turn back the clock to inefficient Bronze Age wind power.”

NEWS BITES:

Keystone battle flares over contractor’s ties

Green groups are pressing the State Department to re-evaluate its study of the
Keystone XL oil pipeline following a news report that a contractor on the
study has consulted for TransCanada Corp., the developer of the proposed
oil sands pipeline.

The account in Mother Jones is providing Keystone’s foes an avenue to
bash State’s study, an analysis that wounded Keystone opponents by
finding that the pipeline would not speed up oil sands development.

The Mother Jones story shows that State, in documents posted about contractor
Environmental Resources Management, appears to have redacted biographical information
about experts with the company.

One of them has consulted for TransCanada on prior projects, among ties between company staff and oil companies.

“The State Department should re-evaluate all parts of their analysis
that involved the input of anyone who worked for TransCanada. This
revelation reaffirms that their analysis is unacceptable, and that there
should be no rush to approve this harmful project,” said League of
Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski in a statement.

Friends of the Earth called on the State Department, which is leading the Obama administration’s review of the project, to junk the environmental study and produce a new report.

The draft environmental analysis didn’t make a recommendation on the proposed pipeline to bring oil from Alberta’s oil sands projects to Gulf Coast refineries. But it essentially found that the project would not have a major environmental impact.

Sen. Crapo seeks stories on impact of EPA rules

Heading into a hearing to vet President Obama’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) is taking input from his constituents on how the agency’s rules affect them.

Crapo is looking for stories about the impact of EPA rules on ranchers and farmers in his state. He’s taking submissions through email and Twitter.

“Many EPA requirements needlessly drive up costs that affect the bottom line for business and industry. Additional and unnecessary burdens being placed on small businesses hurts Idaho’s economy and the ability to compete in the marketplace,” he said in a Thursday statement.

Crapo sits on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. That committee will vet Gina McCarthy, who heads EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and is Obama’s pick to run the full agency.

No date has been set for McCarthy’s confirmation hearing.

Divorce for former Romney adviser could yield largest settlement ever

Oil tycoon and former Mitt Romney campaign energy adviser Harold Hamm’s divorce “could lead to a record financial settlement,” according to Reuters.

The separation from his wife, Sue Ann Hamm, could force Hamm to relinquish control of Continental Resources. The firm has been at the forefront of the domestic oil boom.

From Reuters:

Documents in the case are sealed. But in a March 7, 2013 filing obtained by Reuters, Sue Ann Hamm alleges that Harold “was having an affair” that she discovered in 2010, prompting her to later file for divorce.

Click here for the full story.

Please send tips and comments to Ben Geman, ben.geman@digital-release.thehill.com, and Zack Colman, zcolman@digital-release.thehill.com.

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