The American Power Act: “First Read” of the Kerry-Lieberman Climate and Energy Legislation
《美国电力法案》：克里-利伯曼 气候与能源立法——NRDC专家的初步解读
Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) unveiled today the long-awaited draft of their American Power Act. The launch of their bill kicks off an intensive effort to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation in the Senate this summer, reconcile it with the bill passed by the House, and put a final bill on the president’s desk to sign into law this year.
As the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster continues to unfold with tragic consequences, it has become painfully clear that America needs a safer, cleaner approach to energy development. Congress must enact a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill this year that puts America back in control of our energy situation. This draft bill gets us moving in the right direction.
Here is NRDC’s “first read” of the American Power Act discussion draft, compiled with the assistance of our staff experts in each of the areas that the legislation addresses. Our staff will be diving deeper into parts of the bill in posts to follow in the coming days. We’ll also update this overview as necessary.
The core carbon pollution limits in the bill, covering all major pollution sources, are a solid foundation for Senate legislation.
- The bill would amend the Clean Air Act to establish steadily declining limits on carbon emission from the major sectors responsible for America’s carbon pollution, including electricity production, heavy industry, and transportation.
- It includes an auction system with major dividends to consumers that start right away and increase over time.
- It includes cost reduction mechanisms and market safeguards, as well as measures to invest in key energy technologies, level the playing field for American manufacturing, and promote innovation and job creation.
The bill does include troubling provisions to curtail some current Clean Air Act authorities and to preempt some state programs.
Recent Climate Change News in the Chinese Media
China proposes carbon tax after 2012 (Google translation)
China is considering the creation of a climate tax as early as 2012, according to a recent study completed the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance. The tax would be devised by changing the current resource tax of 2% into a carbon tax to be levied on enterprises; the tax would charge 10 RMB per ton of carbon dioxide starting in 2012 and will then be increased to 40 RMB by 2020. Though much still needs to be completed before implementation, receiving the support of NDRC and MOF represents a major step forward for putting a price on carbon in China. (Source: Economic Information Daily)
China’s renewable energy development still needs coherent legislative support (Google translation)
At a “green forum” hosted by Sohu earlier this week, Dr. Ren Dongming of the National Development and Reform Commission spoke about the road ahead for renewable energy in China. He identified two major legal measures that still must be confirmed before robust deployment of renewable energy technology and development: the operational function and use of the renewable energy fund in China; and regulation of a renewable energy quota system for renewables. Ren hopes that firmer legislative on these issues will resolve some of the current difficulties in connecting renewable energy to the grid and transporting renewable energy to other locations around the country. (Source: Legal Daily)
Sinoma Tech begins work on constructing 3MW wind turbine blades in Jiuquan, Gansu province (Google translation)
In April of this year, Sinoma Technology invested 238 million RMB to construct a massive wind turbine plant that is expected to have an annual output of 300 sets of 3MW turbines. Projected annual sales for the plant are over 600 million RMB, let alone the creation of more than 500 new jobs. The factory is expected to start operation in November 2010, and many of the turbines will go toward a 10 million KW wind power base being constructed in Jiuquan. (Source: Joint News Agency)