Overnight Energy: Big steps on energy reform

ENERGY BILL PUSH BEGINS: Both chambers of Congress took big steps toward energy reform packages Wednesday, though lawmakers avoided many hot-button issues in the name of bipartisanship.

The House led the way with a unanimous vote in the morning to pass its energy bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subpanel on energy and power.

Later in the day, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unveiled the result of its months-long negotiations toward an energy bill, which is more ambitious than the House one, but also avoids big debates like crude oil exports.

{mosads}Leaders on both sides of Capitol Hill went to great lengths to highlight the bipartisanship of their efforts.

“This committee print before us today is reflective of the accomplishments and compromises agreed upon at this stage,” said Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), chairman of the House subcommittee.

“It was a priority of the chairman to move a bill that was bipartisan in nature and that had the ranking member’s support,” said Robert Dillon, spokesman for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chairwoman of the Senate committee.

Both bills put a heavy emphasis on modernizing the electrical grid and other energy infrastructure, but differ in other provisions, like expediting liquefied natural gas export licenses.

Read more here and here. 

COAL ASH BILL IN THE HOUSE: The House is voting late Wednesday on its bill to delay and weaken provisions of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) coal ash rule.

Check back with The Hill to see how the vote pans out. 

ON TAP THURSDAY I: Two subcommittees of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing on the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard. 

ON TAP THURSDAY II: The House Natural Resources’ water, power and oceans subcommittee will hold a hearing on three conservation bills.

Rest of Thursday’s agenda … 

A House Foreign Affairs Committee panel will hold a hearing on Mexico’s energy policy. Carlos Pascual, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, will testify. 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) will speak at a Center for Strategic and International Studies meeting on foreign energy policy.

Officials from the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency will speak on environmental litigation at an American Bar Association event.

AROUND THE WEB:

Europe is perplexed by Americans’ use of air conditioning, the Washington Post reports. 

Pope Francis’s approval rating in the U.S. is falling, in part because of his climate change push, according to Gallup.

Certain genetic modifications to rice could reduce the greenhouse gas emissions related to its growth and harvest, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

Check out Wednesday’s stories …

-Green groups challenge Obama water rule in court
-Senators strike deal on sweeping energy bill
-Republicans call for further review of Obama climate rule 
-Obama gives final approval to Arctic drilling 
-House chairman: Social cost of carbon measure ‘rejects reality‘
-Lawmakers press Obama nominee on pipeline safety
-House panel approves energy reform bill
-Regulators: Railroads must disclose oil train data
-Hunters, anglers back EPA’s clean water rule, poll finds
-Dem senators push to extend conservation fund

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