OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Election 2014 edition

by Laura Barron-Lopez and Timothy Cama - 11/04/14 6:56 PM ET

ELECTION 2014: Will climate change win at the ballot box? Will GOP gain control of the Senate, helping Keystone XL supporters pick up a filibuster-proof majority?

Those are just a few of the questions energy and environment gurus should be asking.

The Hill has you covered.

{mosads}The climate billionaire: Former hedge-fund manager Tom Steyer’s political action arm NextGen Climate spent $65 million on the midterm elections across state and congressional races, according to spokesman Bobby Whithorne. It’s too early to say if Steyer’s efforts will be enough to push the environmentally-friendly candidates he backed to victory. Polling suggests Steyer will have a mixed night at best. The Hill breaks down the NextGen Climate’s spending this election cycle here.

Keystone XL: All signs point toward a possible GOP Senate takeover, and with that comes Keystone XL. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said passing a Keystone XL bill is the No. 2 priority for a Republican Senate majority.

“I actually think the president will sign the bill on the Keystone pipeline because I think the pressure — he’s going to be boxed in on that, and I think it’s going to happen,” Priebus said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown.”

If Republicans pick up Senate seats in South Dakota, West Virginia, Colorado and Iowa, Keystone XL supporters will have 61 votes for binding legislation to approve construction of the pipeline outright.

The Hill has more here.

The president’s climate agenda: Keystone XL isn’t the only thing on the GOP’s wish list. If Republicans pick up the six seats needed for a majority in the Senate, President Obama’s climate agenda will be on their hit list. That means anti-EPA legislation that attacks the administration’s carbon pollution rules for existing power plants will be a top priority, especially for pro-coal Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Expanding offshore and onshore drilling, and natural gas exports will also be high on the GOP agenda.

Leadership shuffles: Check back early on Wednesday to see if there will be leadership changes on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

WEDNESDAY’S AGENDA…

The American Water Resources Association is holding its annual conference.

The Brookings Institution will host an all-day conference Wednesday on President Obama’s upcoming trip to China. A late morning session with experts and White House Office of Science and Technology Adviser Kelly Gallagher will discuss cooperation between the United States and China on climate change and the environment.

Resources for the Future will hold a lunch seminar Wednesday on current and future trends in world resources and innovation in resource use and conservation.

NEWS BITE: Automakers have approved the use of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol (E15) in about two-thirds of new vehicles, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said.

RFA came to the conclusion in a Tuesday report based on analysis of new vehicles’ warranties and owner manuals.

The report comes as RFA battles a persistent argument from opponents of the federal ethanol mandate — that vehicle engines cannot handle high ethanol concentrations.

“Today’s analysis should send a clear message to the EPA and Congress that E15 is here to stay,” Bob Dinneen, RFA’s president, said in a statement.

AROUND THE WEB:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called the hydraulic fracturing debate “divisive” Tuesday after voting, where he was greeted by anti-fracking protesters, WKTV reports.

Waters in the Gulf of Alaska are at their warmest this fall in 17 years, Alaska Dispatch News reports.

Beverly Hills, Calif., is the largest per-capita user of water in the greater Los Angeles area, and East Los Angeles ranked the lowest, the Los Angeles Times reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Tuesday’s stories…

– Keystone pipeline’s future in the Senate
– Energy weighs impact of looming efficiency regs
– Lightbulb efficiency improving under federal rules
– White House: GOP Senate won’t stop Obama on climate
– Inhofe blasts ‘extreme’ climate report
– Did climate billionaire waste millions?
– Keystone pipeline cost surges
– DOJ asks court to dismiss lawsuit against EPA climate rule
– Feds decline protections for edible snail
– Priebus: Obama will sign Keystone XL bill
– Kerry: US, China cannot solve climate problem alone
– Tom Dem: Ignoring UN climate report could lead to ‘irreversible problems’
– Poll: Voters want climate policies
– US oil price falls to 3-year low