| It’s that time again! The annual Congressional August recess is upon us. When Congress returns in September they will be working to….you guessed it….avoid a government shutdown. The more things change, the more they stay the same. For now, Members will return home, some to campaign, and all needing to address the rapidly changing dynamics of the presidential race. In advance of the Senate’s recess, Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin and ranking member John Barrasso made a major push toward permitting reform. The Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (S.4753), which passed out of committee today, makes progress by opening access to federal lands, and making improvements that support oil, natural gas, critical minerals, and renewable energy development. In connection with the committee’s consideration of the bill, we submitted a letter of support, which you can read here. We also plan to hold a webinar on this topic on August 7, which you can register for here. We’ve been on a webinar streak lately. This past month we were pleased to host two excellent panels. First up was a conversation on recent Supreme Court decisions and their implications for the environment, following-up on our February webinar that discussed the Chevron Doctrine and previewed the court decisions. Shortly thereafter we assembled a robust panel of experts to examine the consequences of the California Air Resources Board’s In-Use Locomotive standards. If you missed either one of them the first time around, be sure to click through for the replays. And while you have YouTube open, swing on over to our interview with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) where we chatted with him about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act. In addition to webinars, this past month our president, Jeff Kupfer, wrote about the need to Kick Politics Out of Energy Policymaking for Real Clear Energy. Additionally, ConservAmerica Fellow Alina Clough (pictured above) wrote about how Kathy Hochul’s Latest Energy Scheme Is Bad for New York in the National Review. We also took a Deeper Dive into our interview with Rep. Miller-Meeks and took a closer look at Georgia’s Power Plant Vogtle. We hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer so far. As a precaution before heading outside, be sure to check out these heat safety tips from the National Weather Service. Looking for a way to enjoy outdoor fun? Check out this page from the National Park Service to help you plan your weekend adventure, and don’t forget to tag us on Facebook (@ConservAmerica) with your great outdoor fun photos! |
