Energy & Environment: Markey Wants Answers on Rare Earths
• Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., "is pressing the Obama administration for information about alleged Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technologies, warning of threats to U.S. interests," The Hill reports.
• "Three months after BP capped its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Louisiana is still building a chain of sand berms off its coast to block and capture oil even as federal officials and many scientists argue that the effort will prove pointless," the New York Times reports.
• An Idaho couple has "sued the state to stop the shipments by Imperial Oil and ConocoPhillips" to an oil sands site in Canada, "arguing that the" truck loads delivered there "would threaten the integrity of Idaho's historic portion of U.S. 12, as well as the safety of communities that depend on it as the main road in and out of the area," the Times also reports. "National environmental groups and climate change activists are supporting their efforts, seeing a broader opportunity to stall development of Canada's oil sands, which they denounce as a dirty source of energy. "
• "Combating climate change has long taken a back seat to coal production in West Virginia, but in the hard-fought House race in this state's 1st district, global warming hasn't even made it onto the bus," The Hill reports. "In interviews on Thursday, both the Democratic and Republican nominees for Congress voiced skepticism of the science behind global warming, and the Republican, David McKinley, flatly called concerns about climate change 'an attack on coal.'"
Contributor
Bryan Hannegan
Biography provided by participant
Dr. Bryan Hannegan is Vice President, Environment and Renewables for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). In this capacity, he leads the teams responsible for EPRI's research into technologies and practices that enable cleaner and more efficient renewable power generation, and reduce the environmental footprint associated with electric power generation, delivery and use. In addition to his work leading Environment and Renewables, Dr. Hannegan also served as Vice President, Generation for EPRI during 2008-2009 with a focus on enabling technologies for reliable and sustainable fossil generation.
Prior to joining EPRI in September 2006, Hannegan served as the Chief of Staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), coordinating Federal agency policies and activities on a wide range of energy and environmental issues affecting air, water, land, and ecosystems. During that time, he also served as an acting Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, helping to formulate the Advanced Energy Initiative and to implement the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Between 1999 and 2003, Hannegan served as Staff Scientist for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where he handled energy efficiency, renewable energy, alternative fuels, and environmental aspects of energy production and use.
Dr. Hannegan holds a doctorate in earth system science, a Master of Science in engineering, both from the University of California, Irvine, and a Bachelor of Science in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. He is a member of the California Council on Science and Technology.
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