Thursday, September 15, 2016

Bill Seeks Emissions Data from Energy Projects on U.S. Lands

Alpine Lakes WA. (Photo Credit: Jeff Pang, Flickr)  Click to Enlarge.
A bipartisan coalition of House lawmakers today plans to introduce legislation calling for the online posting of information about energy projects on federal lands and the planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions associated with them.

The "Transparency in Energy Production Act" is from Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and will be co-sponsored by Reps. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.), Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.) as well as Florida Reps. Ted Deutch, a Democrat, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Carlos Curbelo, both of whom are Republicans.

The bill would require the Interior Department to freely and publicly publish at least annually the total amount of fossil fuels produced by type and state on federal lands, the portion of those fuels that was lost to venting, flaring or fugitive releases, and information on the agency's fossil fuel leases and potential leases.

Interior would also need to post online data detailing solar, wind and geothermal projects on federal lands.  Greenhouse gases produced by oil, gas and coal extraction and emissions offset by renewable energy projects would be published as well.

Furthermore, the legislation calls for biennial reports to Congress on how Interior is reducing greenhouse gas emissions from federal lands and waters.

Such reductions are a top priority for the Obama administration.  
Last year, the president ordered all federal agencies to cut their emissions 40 percent from 2008 levels by 2025.

The Wilderness Society, which helped craft the legislation, applauded the sponsors for their leadership on addressing climate change with better information.

Read more at Bill Seeks Emissions Data from Energy Projects on U.S. Lands

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