As the Obama and Romney campaigns fight over the EPA's new, stringent regulations on coal, the EPA and other energy policy wonks place the blame on cheap natural gas supplies for driving the energy market away from the fuel source, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The House on Friday wrapped up its pre-election business with easy passage of the Stop the War on Coal Act, a bill intended to show Republican opposition to President Barack Obama's pollution regulations on coal mining and coal-fired power plants.
The bill passed on a 233-175 vote, with 19 Democrats voting in favor and a total of 13 Republicans voting against. It is not expected to advance in the Senate, and drew a veto threat from the White House.
The House on Friday passed the Stop the War on Coal Act on a 233-175 vote.
The bill included four measures previously passed by the House and was billed by House Republicans as a show of support for coal jobs in Appalachian states and for low-cost coal-fired electricity.
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., House Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings, R-Wash., Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio join colleagues and coal miners to call for passage of the Stop the War on Coal Act bill.
House Energy and Commerce Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 6172, prohibiting new EPA carbon regulations on coal-fired power plants. American Electric Power Executive Vice President Mark C. McCullough, Alstom Power Vice President Robert Hilton, Natural Resources Defense Council Climate & Clean Air Program Director Dan Lashof among witnesses.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the GOP-backed "Stop the War on Coal" Act would cut federal spending by approximately $245 million over five years.
Hoping to get back on message, Republican Mitt Romney is using the latest layoffs in the coal industry to launch a new attack on President Barack Obama's environment and regulatory agenda.
While the GOP candidate tried to get past controversial remarks he made about government-dependent Americans in a secretly recorded videotape, his campaign unleashed two televisions ads in key swing states accusing the Obama administration of conducting a "war on coal."
Since retaking the majority in 2010, House Republicans have persistently highlighted their opposition to the energy policies of President Barack Obama, with some of their sharpest differences coming over coal.
It may be fitting, then, that one of the last pre-election bills to get time on the House floor this week will be the "Stop the War on Coal Act", which would repackage three previously-passed measures Republicans contend would save jobs in coal country and keep electricity prices low.
The bill is to come to the floor for likely passage after the House returns Wednesday for a final, shortened workweek before the chamber and the Senate recess to campaign for the Nov. 6 elections.
Since retaking the majority in 2010, House Republicans have persistently highlighted their opposition to the energy policies of President Barack Obama, with some of their sharpest differences coming over coal.
It may be fitting, then, that one of the last pre-election bills to get time on the House floor this week will be the "Stop the War on Coal Act", which would repackage three previously-passed measures Republicans contend would save jobs in coal country and keep electricity prices low.
The bill is to come to the floor for likely passage after the House returns Wednesday for a final, shortened workweek before the chamber and the Senate recess to campaign for the Nov. 6 elections.
The oil, gas and coal industries are financing an effort to defeat President Obama, while his former allies in promoting wind and solar power are sitting out the campaign on the airwaves, The New York Times reports.
Liberal watchdog group Checks and Balances Project said the State Department inspector general is investigating potential conflicts of interests in the department's environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline, The Hill reports.
West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Attorney General Patrick Morrisey joined a push to have the Supreme Court rule to overturn EPA greenhouse gas regulations, The Charleston Gazette reports.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., voiced optimism that President Obama would not veto his bill to authorize oil and gas drilling off the coast of Virginia, The Hill reports.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a key satellite tasked with tracking severe eastern weather failed and a spare has been activated, Reuters reports.
The new chemical safety compromise bill introduced by Sens. David Vitter, R-La., and Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., now has 20 co-sponsors, The Hill reports.
Participants in the Energy Department's Better Buildings Challenge, designed to reduce energy consumption at buildings, saved about $58 million in energy costs last year, The Journal Sentinel reports.
In a Q&A with State House News Service, Massachusetts Senate candidates Rep. Ed Markey, D, and Gabriel Gomez, R, give their take on the Senate battle to confirm EPA nominee Gina McCarthy.
In an interview with GreenBiz.com, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick discusses his vision for his state's energy policy, including his plans for offshore wind generation.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to reform the Long Island Power Authority over flaws exposed by Hurricane Sandy is unpopular among municipal bond investors, Bloomberg reports.
