E2-Wire

OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Natural gas, climate fund winners in budget

by Laura Barron-Lopez - 03/04/14 7:26 PM ET

2015 BUDGET: President Obama released his budget proposal for 2015 on Tuesday, which aims to increase investments in natural-gas research and fossil fuel developments.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said at a press conference on Tuesday that it’s the first time the administration has moved to demonstrate the importance of natural gas and the use of carbon capture technology in gas systems.

{mosads}”To be a major player in a low carbon world, natural gas will require carbon capture technology,” just like coal Moniz said.

Obama’s controversial $1 billion dollar climate fund is another prominent factor of the budget. It would help communities better adapt to extreme weather like drought, floods and hurricanes in the future.

While Republicans strongly oppose the fund, green groups praised it on Tuesday.

E2-Wire has more here. Check The Hill for more coverage Wednesday on the winners and losers of the budget plan.

H.R. 3826: The White House said it strongly opposes a bill sponsored by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) on Tuesday, which would thwart the administration’s climate regulations on coal power plants.

The bill “would nullify proposed carbon pollution standards for future power plants, and arbitrarily restrict the available technologies that could be considered for any new standards,” the administration said.

The House will begin debate on the bill on Wednesday before it likely comes to vote on Thursday.

E2-Wire has more here.

ON TAP WEDNESDAY: A number of senators will give keynote speeches at the Coal Technology Symposium sponsored by the University of North Dakota and West Virginia University.

The event will be held in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee room on Wednesday. Democratic Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.) and Mark Warner (Va.) will all speak at the event, which focuses on viable “near-term” technology options for coal-fired power plants.

Also on Wednesday … A House Natural Resources subcommittee will hold a hearing on the country’s fish hatchery system and a workforce planning report.

AROUND THE WEB:

The Houston Chronicle reports China is making strides on the number of vehicles hitting its roads that are powered by natural gas.

Bloomberg reports the Energy Department’s stat shop is ready to review how U.S. crude oil exports could affect global markets.

U.S. Energy Information Administration chief Adam Sieminski said a review would consider crude exports’ effect on refining operations and foreign sales of other oil products.

“I think we can address each one of these,” Sieminski said Tuesday at the IHS CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out the stories that ran on E2-Wire on Tuesday …

– House mounts attack on Obama’s climate rules
– Reports clash on Keystone’s carbon impact
– Obama’s budget wish list: Money and manpower for regulations
– House votes to ease access to home heating oil
– Hoyer breaks with Pelosi on energy race
– Cuomo urges DHS, DOT to strengthen rail safety
– Obama stands by energy strategy while pushing climate change fund
– No set targets jeopardize climate deal in 2015