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From Environment & Energy Daily, 9/30:
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Boxer, Kerry brace for delicate talks as bill emerges today
The decision by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to seek steeper greenhouse gas emissions cuts than their House counterparts drew mixed reviews from senators yesterday, underscoring the challenges the pair will face after unveiling their climate bill today.
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“The draft includes new incentives for natural gas producers that were not in H.R. 2454, the sweeping House-passed energy and climate bill, as well as a modest nuclear energy title that Senate nuclear power backers — such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) — hope to greatly expand.
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Plans to include new natural gas incentives drew attention as lawmakers last night began digesting the long-awaited bill.A new “clean energy” provision rewards companies that switch from power sources with higher emissions than the 2007 power sector average — such as coal-fired or oil-fired power plants — to cleaner fuels including gas.
The plan received high marks from Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) who said it is a “positive step.”
“Anything we do to promote natural gas would be a very, very smart thing to do,” Landrieu said. “The leaders are hearing from many different parts of the country how much natural gas is out there.”
Landrieu was among nine senators who sent a letter last week to Boxer lobbying for greater incentives for natural gas. Natural gas producers have been aggressively lobbying senators to win greater incentives for the fuel and have garnered support from some swing votes, including Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).
Maybe Kerry, Boxer, Landrieu, et al, haven’t seen this article:
Eric Fox: “What could go wrong with shale plays”
Remember this, when you hear those slick commercials touting decades worth of natural gas from tight shales
or this one:
If 2% leaks, the CO2 impact of natural gas is the same as burning coal
or this one:
Must read: “How Neutral is the Potential Gas Committee?”
or this one:
Analyst: Gas shale may be next bubble to burst
But they should get up to speed. Imagine how mortifying it will be if we’ve switched over to natural gas for much of our energy generation and transportation, but somehow, greenhouse gas levels just don’t drop the way those industry-funded studies and think tanks said they would. Imagine how embarrassing it will be when it turns out so much taxpayer money was spent on infrastructure for natural gas delivery and consumption and then the infrastructure investment cost isn’t even paid off before the gas runs out. Can y’all say T Boone-doggle?
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