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
David C. Brown
Biography provided by participant
Brown serves as Exelon's primary liaison with Congress and federal agencies on public policy issues affecting Exelon. He also works actively with national trade associations representing the electric, natural gas and nuclear energy industries. Brown is instrumental in Exelon's advocacy for federal legislation to address climate change and enabling policy for nuclear power. He previously served as vice president of federal affairs and has played a key role in Exelon's federal legislative affairs efforts in Washington since 2000. Prior to that, he served in a similar leadership capacity for PECO Energy from 1990-2000, before the company merged with Unicom Corp. to form Exelon.
Prior to joining Exelon, Brown served as legislative programs director for the American Nuclear Energy Council (now the Nuclear Energy Institute), where he was responsible for nuclear fuel cycle issues, including uranium and enrichment, nuclear material transportation and used fuel management issues. He has held a number of leadership positions with the American Gas Association, the Edison Electric Institute and the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Recent Responses