E2-Wire

OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Keystone, drilling battles rage in both chambers

by Ben Geman and Andrew Restuccia - 02/06/12 11:12 PM ET

Across the Capitol, the Senate Finance Committee is marking up portions of that chamber’s transportation package.

Republicans are preparing amendments to approve Keystone and mandate vastly wider oil-and-gas leasing than the White House supports.

{mosads}Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has filed an amendment that would approve the pipeline and open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

It would also require oil-and-gas lease sales in regions off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and repeal the moratorium that covers most of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The plan would raise as much as several billion dollars over a decade, according to Hatch’s office. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) has also filed an amendment that would mandate a major offshore leasing expansion.

Their plans are among several energy-related amendments prepared for Tuesday’s markup, although it wasn’t clear as of press time which amendments will come up for a vote.

Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), for instance, are floating a plan to extend the production tax credit for wind energy projects for one year through 2013.

Check out all the amendments here.

Democrats will counterpunch …

Democrats in both chambers have plans to put Republicans in a politically tricky spot on oil-and-gas policy.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has filed an amendment for the Finance markup that would repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for Exxon, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell.

House Democrats, at the Energy and Commerce markup, plan to offer an amendment that would bar U.S. exports of oil from the Keystone pipeline (and the refined products the oil is turned into).

The amendment will serve as a rallying point for Democrats who are seeking to counter GOP claims that the Keystone project would boost U.S. energy security.

“The pipeline can’t wean us off oil no matter how much tar sands are pried out of Canadian soil. But at least we don’t have to add insult to the environmental injury that this pipeline will cause,” said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in a statement.

“At least we don’t have to acquiesce to Transcanada’s vision of the U.S. as the mere middleman between Alberta and Asia. I hope we can all agree — if the pipeline is built, the oil and the refined fuels should stay here,” he said.

NEWS BITES:

Obama-backed car maker lays off workers

The Associated Press reports that Fisker Automotive, an electric-car manufacturer that won a $529 million Obama administration loan, laid off 26 workers at a Delaware plant and 40 employees in California.

Read more about the layoffs here.

Fisker recalled vehicles last year after the company discovered a faulty electric battery component that could cause a fire.

Obama sends nominations to Senate

President Obama sent two energy-related nominations to the Senate Monday.

He reappointed John Norris as a commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. And he nominated Marcilynn Burke as assistant secretary for lands and minerals management at the Interior Department.

Here’s is Burke’s bio, via the White House:

Marcilynn A. Burke has served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the Department of the Interior (DOI) since July 2011 and as Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management since August 2009. Prior to serving in these positions at DOI, Ms. Burke was a tenured Associate Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center where she taught natural resources, land use management, environmental, and property law. Before she began her teaching career, Ms. Burke was an associate at the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen, & Hamilton. She earned her A.B. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Yale University.

And here’s some background on Norris:

John Norris is a Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a position he has held since December 2009. Over the past 10 years, Mr. Norris has also been involved in numerous local, regional, and national energy related boards and organizations. Before his appointment to FERC, he was Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Norris served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). Prior to joining IUB, he served as Chief of Staff and Energy Advisor to Governor Tom Vilsack, Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell, and owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa. Mr. Norris received a B.A. in Political Science from Simpson College and a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.

ON TAP TUESDAY:

Obama hosting White House science fair

President Obama will host a science fair at the White House Tuesday featuring students from across the country.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and other administration officials will attend the second annual event.

Read more about he science fair here.

LCV to rate lawmakers on energy

The League of Conservation Voters will unveil its annual National Environmental Scorecard Tuesday, which rates lawmakers’ energy and environmental voting records.

The 2011 scorecard “reflects the most anti-environmental session of the U.S. House of Representatives in history, featuring unparalleled assaults on our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health safeguards,” according to an LCV statement.

The scorecard rates lawmakers’ records based on 11 Senate and 35 House votes.

Chemicals trade group to launch energy campaign

The American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry’s main trade group, will roll out a new advocacy campaign Tuesday called “From Chemistry to Energy.”

“From Chemistry to Energy will highlight the need for a comprehensive energy strategy to stimulate economic recovery, job creation and long-term competitiveness for U.S. manufacturers,” an advisory states.

“It will also advocate for policies to support growth in key energy sources such as natural gas, energy efficiency and energy recovery.”

The launch will feature ACC President Cal Dooley and other industry officials, as well as Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).

House committee to mark up ethanol bill

The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will mark up legislation that requires a new EPA evaluation of allowing so-called mid-level ethanol blends onto the market.

The bill is aimed at countering EPA’s decision to allow blends of up to 15 percent ethanol (as opposed to the traditional 10 percent cap) in gasoline for cars and light trucks from model year 2001 onward.

A coalition that includes food and livestock groups, some environmentalists and conservative groups opposes the mid-level blends.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Here’s a quick roundup of E2’s stories from Monday and the weekend:

— Rep. Issa threatens Chu with subpoena
— Senators press White House to intervene in ‘fracking’ fight
— Energy Department to recover cash from loan guarantee
— After 185K Solyndra documents, GOP is hungry for more
— On Keystone pipeline, GOP plays Buffett card to counter Dems’ Koch claims
— Dems counter energy security claims about Keystone XL project
— White House gives up more Solyndra docs