The Week Ahead (March 8-12)
March 5, 2010
11:09 AM
The Week Ahead
Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources
Week of March 8-12
- On Tuesday, March 9, the full committee will examine financial transmission rights and other electricity market mechanisms. Witnesses will include Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Chairman Gary Gensler, Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Chairman Garry Brown, representing the New York Public Service Commission (Albany) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners; Vince Duane, vice president and general counsel, PJM Interconnection, Norristown, PA; The Hon. Joseph
K elliher, representing the Edison Electric Institute and the Electric Power Supply Association; and Michael Henderson, representing the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. (Dirksen 366 at 10:00 a.m.)
- On Wednesday, March 10, the full committee will consider four bills designed to promote energy efficiency: S. 3059, the National Energy Efficiency Enhancement Act of 2010; S. 2908, the Water Heater Rating Improvement Act of 2009; S. 1696, the Green Gaming Act of 2009; and S. 3054, a bill to establish efficiency standards for bottle-type water dispensers, commercial hot food holding cabinets and portable electric spas. Witnesses will include
K athleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency, U.S. Department of Energy; Steve Nadel, executive director, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy; Joseph McGuire, president, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers; Kyle Pitsor, vice president, government relations, National Electrical Manufacturers Association; and Stephen Yurek, president and CEO, Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute. (Dirksen 366 at 9:30 a.m.)
- On Wednesday, March 10, the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests will examine S. 2895, to restore forest landscapes, protect old growth forests and manage national forests in Oregon; S. 2907, to establish a coordinated avalanche protection program; S. 2966/H.R. 4474, to authorize the continued use of certain water diversions located on National Forest System land in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in Idaho; and S. 2791/H.R. 3759, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to grant economy-related contract extensions of a certain timber contracts. Witnesses will include Harris Sherman, Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture; Edwin Roberson, assistant director, Renewable Resources and Planning, Bureau of Land Management; Andy
K err, senior counselor, Oregon Wild; John Shelk, managing director, Ochoco Lumber Co., Prineville, OR; Norman Johnson, professor, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis; Larry Blasing, Grant County Public Forest Commission, Prairie City, OR; and Stephen Fitzgerald, professor, Silviculture & Wildland Fire Specialist, Oregon State University, Redmond. (Dirksen 366 at 2:30 p.m.)
- On Thursday, March 11, the full committee will meet to review legislation and legislative proposals designed to create jobs related to energy efficiency. Among the proposals to be considered are S. 1320, regarding manufactured housing rebates; a committee Majority staff draft regarding home energy efficiency building retrofits (Home Star); and S. 3079, a bill regarding commercial building retrofits (Building Star). Witnesses include Paul Parfomak, energy and infrastructure specialist, Congressional Research Service; Catherine Zoi, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy; Larry Laseter, president, Masco Home Services, Atlanta, GA; Jeffrey DeBoer, president & CEO, The Real Estate Roundtable; Terrence Mierzwa, executive manager of marketing, efficiency & research, Consumers Energy, Jackson, MI; Commissioner Phil Giudice, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources; Stacey Epperson, executive director, Frontier Housing, Morehead,
K Y; and a representative from the National Association of Home Builders. (Dirksen 366 at 10:00 a.m.)
Bonus …
Here’s a hot tip: March is Green Chile Month in the Senate! Thanks to the hard work of Sen. Bingaman, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the Senate’s creative chefs, the Senate cafeteria will serve a rotating menu that features at least one green chile dish daily. (Fans of red chile won’t be left out: the menu also includes a few dishes made with the more mature version of the fiery pepper.) Green chile is an important crop for
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