United States – July 31

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Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage

Energy Bill Aids Expansion of Atomic Power
Edmund L. Andrews and Matthew L. Wald, New York Times
A one-sentence provision buried in the Senate’s recently passed energy bill, inserted without debate at the urging of the nuclear power industry, could make builders of new nuclear plants eligible for tens of billions of dollars in government loan guarantees.

Lobbyists have told lawmakers and administration officials in recent weeks that the nuclear industry needs as much as $50 billion in loan guarantees over the next two years to finance a major expansion.
(31 July 2007)

Obama on the Record
Amanda Griscom Little, Grist
An interview with Barack Obama about his presidential platform on energy and the environment

…Question: How central will energy and the environment be to your campaign?

Answer: I consider energy to be one of the three most important issues that we are facing domestically, along with revamping our education system and reforming our health-care systems. The opportunities for significant change exist partly because the awareness of the threat of climate change has grown rapidly over the last couple of years. Al Gore deserves a lot of credit for that, as do environmental activists and outlets like Grist. People are ready to recognize the magnitude of the climate problem and take it on.

They’re also recognizing that our dependence on fossil fuels from the Middle East is distorting our foreign policies, and that we can’t economically sustain our use of a resource that is getting more and more expensive over time. As all those things converge, we have to move boldly on energy legislation, and that’s what I’ll do as the next president.

Question: How central of a role do you think the issues of energy and the environment will play overall in the 2008 campaign? Will they take a backseat to Iraq?

Answer” Bringing the war in Iraq to a responsible end is the most pressing challenge we face, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only challenge we face. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil and slashing our greenhouse-gas emissions will also be defining issues in this campaign.
(30 July 2007)

The House is poised to debate and pass an Energy Bill this week…get your thoughts in…
Prof. Goose, The Oil Drum
Oil Drum readers are encouraged to peruse recent coverage by CQ Today and EandENews (included below the fold) concerning the contents and status of elements in the bill and voice their reactions to, and analysis of, the legislation in this thread.

Under the fold are links to the actual text of the two bills – an energy bill and a tax bill. These two bills may well be combined into one bill by the House Rules Committee for debate and consideration this Friday.

I can promise you that there will be congressional staffers reading this thread. Therefore please keep it on point, off topic comments will be deleted. I have received emails from staffers who were impressed with our last effort, by the way.

Readers are also encouraged to inform their Members about their recommendations for voting for or against the bill. Two issues of continuing controversy and vote counting are raising CAFÉ standards and adopting a national Renewable Portfolio Standard.
(31 July 2007)