House Passes Energy Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the New Directions for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act (H.R.3221). Some of the provisions of this bill are outlined below.

Green Jobs- Creates a grant program to train workers for energy industries.
- Creates grants for states to identify job openings in energy industries and prepare workers for them.
- Creates grants for states to make subgrants to nonprofits for training workers for energy industries.

Climate
- Creates an Office of Global Climate Change and an International Clean Energy Foundation within the Department of State.
- Authorizes the U.S. Agency for International Development to support clean and efficient energy technology.
- Directs Department of Commerce to promote U.S. clean and efficient energy technology abroad, especially in India and China.
- Establishes a global climate change exchange program.
- Establishes programs to support research, development and demonstration of carbon capture and storage technologies.
- Establishes programs intended to move the federal government toward being carbon-neutral.

Small Business
- Expands small business loan programs to include loans for energy use reduction and use of renewable energy sources.
- Creates grants for small business development centers to support energy efficiency projects.
- Expands small business investment programs to promote energy savings and provides funding for renewable fuel investment companies.

Research and Alternative Energy- Creates the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and an Office of Solar Energy Technologies within the Department of Energy.
- Establishes programs to support development of marine energy including research, development and demonstration centers.
- Establishes programs to support development of geothermal and hydrothermal energy including centers for geothermal technology transfer.
- Establishes programs to support development of solar energy.Establishes programs to support development of biofuels including a biofuels information center and authorizes financing for biofuels plants.

Energy, Transportation & Missouri News

ENERGY

Buyer of TVA Nuclear Plant Plans to Run It

We previously posted that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was auctioning an unfinished nuclear power plant near Hollywood, Alabama. The buyer, Nuclear Development LLC, announced its intention to complete the plant and put it into operation.

Before this can be done, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must transfer the operating license from TVA to Nuclear Development. In addition, Nuclear Development must complete financing arrangements.

Nuclear Development bid $111 million for the plant. In addition to two nuclear reactors and supporting facilities, the property includes 1,600 acres of land.

Canada, Finland Plan to Phase Out Coal

Canadian officials announced plans to phase out coal-powered electric generation by 2030. They hope the country will be 90 percent powered by sustainable sources by that time.

Findland also proposes to phase out coal by 2030. The country plans to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

MISSOURI

Bill Would Make Sale of Municipal Utilities Easier

A bill filed in the Missouri General Assembly (HB 247), would lower the threshold of voter approval needed for a municipality to sell a utility. If passed, it would lower the requirement from a five-seventh majority to a simple majority. The Missouri House Local Government Committee has taken up the bill.

TRANSPORTATION

Bill Would Transfer Some Missouri Roads from State to Counties

Two bills in the Missouri Senate (SB 38 and SJR 3), propose pathway for the transfer of responsibility for certain road, letter routes, from the state to counties. About two-thirds of the current state funds for maintaining these roads will be distributed to counties, the remainder remaining with the state for other transportation needs.

County officials are opposed to the measure, saying it will shift much of the state’s burden for road maintenance to even more cash-strapped counties. These routes were maintained by counties until 1952, when the state took them over as part of a road improvement program.

A similar proposal failed to pass in the 2016 session. SJR 3 also includes a provision for raising fuel taxes. You can find out more about these bills here.

Noisy Electric Cars

New rules will require electric cars traveling slower than 19 miles per hour to produce a sound. This is to prevent accidents involving pedestrians who can’t hear the very quiet electric motors operating in these vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Administration anticipates this measure will prevent 2,400 injuries to pedestrians annually. New electric and hybrid cars must comply with the rule by September 2019.