OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Keystone battle on House floor, Day II of Moniz era, and more

On Wednesday he’ll stay in the public eye with a early-afternoon town-hall meeting with Energy Department employees that will be webcast.

THE REST OF WEDNESDAY’S AGENDA:

EPA budget in focus

The House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will consider the White House fiscal 2014 budget proposal for the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday.

{mosads}Witnesses for the 2 p.m. hearing include Nancy Stoner, the acting chief of the EPA’s Office of Water, and Mathy Stanislaus, who leads the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Click here for more.

House panel to weigh drilling bills

A House Natural Resources Committee panel will examine GOP bills aimed at boosting oil-and-gas development on federal lands.

Click here for more information.

Green activists to protest ‘fracking’

Several green groups on Wednesday will stage the “Stop the Frack Attack People’s Forum,” an event in opposition to the oil-and-gas development method called hydraulic fracturing. The event will feature people “directly affected by irresponsible fracking and drilling.”

“Hear from Deb Thomas of Clark, Wyoming whose hometown was overtaken by a fracking accident leaving bubbling geysers of toxic waste where fresh springs used to be. Or speak with Kristi Mogen of Douglas, Wyoming whose town was evacuated after a well blowout led to the vaporization of drilling chemicals that overtook the air,” an advisory states.
 
It arrives as the Interior Department weighs fracking regulations that environmentalists call too weak. Click here for more on the event.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

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

— Industry accuses EPA of skirting public review of fuel regs
— GOP gives Dems nine shots at amending Keystone bill
— New Energy Secretary Moniz vows review of gas exports

— Tardy formaldehyde rules pass through White House
— White House threatens veto of Keystone bill
— Moniz vows to help advance big efficiency bill, sees ‘real chance’

— Senior DOE official hints more gas sales are coming
— Senators warned of ‘narrowing’ opportunity to increase gas exports
— Busy first day for new Energy Dept. chief
— Lawmakers press Interior to slow down on fracking rules
— House Dems introduce two-year sequester replacement bill

— Gov. Christie: No proof climate change caused Sandy

— Dems to challenge constitutionality of GOP Keystone bill
— Dems seek floor battle over Keystone pipeline exports, court review

NEWS BITES:

Senate panel sets vote for NRC chair

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee scheduled a Thursday vote to consider Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairwoman Allison Macfarlane’s renomination.

Macfarlane won easy Senate approval in 2012 to fill out the remainder of former Chairman Gregory Jaczko’s term, and is expected to win approval for a full five-year stint.

Energy group adds to staff

Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), an association of clean-energy businesses and executives co-founded by billionaire Democratic donor and activist Tom Steyer, added to its leadership team Tuesday.

The AEE tapped Lisa Frantzis as its senior vice president of strategy and corporate development on Tuesday. She was most recently managing director in the energy practice at Navigant, a consulting firm.

“Lisa is a proven strategist who knows the advanced energy industry from every angle, and we’re thrilled to welcome her to our team. She brings an impressive mix of business, policy and regulatory expertise that will help AEE become a stronger and smarter voice for the industry,” Graham Richard, AEE’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Trade groups forge partnership

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Electricity Storage Association (ESA) launched a joint effort Tuesday aimed at accelerating deployment of their industries’ technology.

From an advisory:

SEIA and ESA will collaborate on communication efforts, events and policy activities promoting solar energy and energy storage. The expansion of each organization’s activities to include both sets of technologies furthers the missions of both organizations and directly assists their common members—solar product and energy storage manufacturers.

Please send tips and comments to Ben Geman, ben.geman@digital-staging.thehill.com, and Zack Colman, zcolman@digital-staging.thehill.com.

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