The week ahead: Obama’s energy roadshow

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will gather Tuesday to hear from Adam E. Sieminski, Obama’s choice to head the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

EIA is the Energy Department’s independent statistical forecasting arm, and produces closely watched — and at times disputed — analyses and data on energy prices, production, consumption trends and many other topics.

The committee will also hear from Marcilynn Burke, the nominee to be the Interior Department’s assistant secretary for land and minerals management, a session likely to include discussion of Interior oil-and-gas leasing plans that Republicans call too modest.

The Energy panel will also hear from nominees for a pair of seats on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will meet Tuesday to hear from Carlos Pascual, the nominee to be assistant secretary of State for energy resources.

And Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power plant pollution rules will remain under the microscope this week.

A Senate Environment and Public Works subcommittee will hear Tuesday from Gina McCarthy, EPA’s top air regulator, about new rules to cut mercury and other air toxics from coal-fired power plants.

On Thursday, the full committee will hear from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson about the agency’s fiscal 2013 budget plan.

The House is back this week, and that means more criticism of White House energy policies at GOP-led hearings. The action will include:

A Tuesday House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the Energy Department’s use of stimulus-law dollars and a Tuesday hearing about Canadian oil sands technology before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.

The House Natural Resources Committee will be busy too.

On Tuesday, a subcommittee will gather for a hearing titled “Effect of the President’s FY 2013 Budget and Legislative Proposals for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service’s Energy and Minerals Programs on Private Sector Job Creation, Domestic Energy and Minerals Production and Deficit Reduction.”

On Wednesday the full Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on “Harnessing American Resources to Create Jobs and Address Rising Gasoline Prices.”

Off Capitol Hill, top power-company execs will be in town for Energy Central’s “Energybiz Leadership Forum.”

Officials with industry giants American Electric Power, Dominion, Exelon and other companies will speak at the March 19-21 forum held in Pentagon City. 

Andrew Restuccia contributed.