From the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Mike Tidwell, director
Compiled and edited by Ted Glick, CCAN Policy Director

August 4, 2010

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network has launched a weekly policy update about efforts to advance “cap and dividend” legislation in the U.S. Congress. The fight for this climate policy is currently being led on Capitol Hill by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Last December these Senators introduced the Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal Act, or CLEAR Act, S-2877. Learn more at http://www.supportclearact.org.

To view past Cap and Dividend Policy Updates go to: http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/template/page.cfm?id=548

Since August 5th: With Congress in recess and with election campaign season in full swing, little-to-nothing has been happening on Capitol Hill to advance climate legislation. When Congress returns next week, the odds are long that much will happen. Many climate and environmental groups are reassessing what their strategies should be going forward. The articles below indicate that the cap-and-dividend approach to comprehensive climate legislation continues to gain attention and support.

In This Issue:

1.  Open Secrets: CLEAR Act approach keeps “popping up for discussion”

2.  E&E News: Economics for Equity and Environment group supports cap and dividend approach

3.  E&E TV, On Point:  Harvard study author on cap-and-trade experiences

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1.  Open Secrets: CLEAR Act approach keeps “popping up for discussion”

“’We have kept an eye on this bill for our clients because Sens. Cantwell and Collins are serious legislators,” said Deborah Sliz, chief executive officer of the lobbying firm Morgan Meguire, which has reported lobbying on the CLEAR Act for its clients, City Utilities of Springfield and the Northeast Public Power Association since January. ‘This is an innovative approach that has kept popping up for discussion.’ ‘We have as a company tried to identify and support legislation that addresses climate change and greenhouse gas emissions in an effective manner that is not onerous to our customers,’ added Roger Thompson, a spokesman for Puget Sound Energy, which is also backing the CLEAR Act and lobbied on the measure since the third quarter of 2009.

For the full article go to: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/08/bipartisan-bill-to-price-carbon.html

2.  E&E News: Economics for Equity and Environment group supports cap and dividend approach

“Kristin Sheeran, head of the E3 Network, said if it were put to a popular vote, cap and dividend would get more support than current policies. ‘I can’t imagine why a dividend type of approach wouldn’t appeal to them more than cap and trade, where most of the allowances are given away,’ she said. Sheeran and her colleagues hold out little hope for a climate policy this Congress, but in the longer term, she said, new ideas will have to come to the fore. She lamented the number of cap-and-trade efforts that have been designed in recent years to get ‘political buy-ins,’ only to fail. ‘It hasn’t seemed to work, has it?’

For the full article go to: http://supportclearact.com/news/can-stiff-carbon-price-and-generous-rebate-policy-change-energy-use-ee-news-saqib-rahim

3. E&E TV, On Point:  Harvard study author on cap-and-trade experiences:

“My own view is that things are largely on the wrong track in the U.S. The cap-and-trade system, which the Europeans have adopted and which we’re talking about, in my judgment, China will not engage in such a scheme and yet we need them. So, we need to think beyond the United States. We need to think about what will work in the world as a whole and we’re not doing that. That’s the major flaw. And then secondarily, if one plays the thought experiment of cap and trade elsewhere in the world, it is an absolute, for the reasons your earlier question suggested, it’s an absolute set up for corruption. So, I think we’re on the wrong track.”

For the full transcript go to: http://www.eenews.net/tv/transcript/1181

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CCAN encourages readers of the Cap and Dividend Policy Update to distribute it to others who might be interested. We welcome input on the contents of this publication and ideas for what could be included. Send to Ted Glick at ted@chesapeakeclimate.org. To find out more about CCAN go to http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org.