Public Workshops Offered Opportunity For Dialogue on 1605(b) Enhancements Process

In November and December 2002, the Department of Energy’s Office of Policy and International Affairs (DOE/PI) hosted a series of public workshops across the country in order to solicit stakeholder input into the enhancement of the 1605(b) Program. This enhancement is a key component of the President’s Climate Change Initiative, which was announced on February 14, 2002 (see http://www.whitehouse. gov/news/releases/2002/02/ climatechange.html).

About 300 participants representing utilities, manufacturers, businesses, institutions, and environmental groups attended the workshops, which were held in Washington, DC, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston. Transcripts of the proceedings and other information about these workshops are available at http://www.pi.energy.gov/enhancing GHGregistry/workshopsInfo.html. DOE/PI is continuing to accept comments on the enhancement of the 1605(b) Program. These comments can be submitted by e-mail to ghgregistry.comments@hq.doe.gov.

DOE/PI is currently drafting revised guidelines for the Program and plans to release a draft for comment in the late Spring of this year. These guidelines will be revised and finalized by January 2004. The Energy Information Administration intends to produce revised paper and electronic reporting forms by Spring 2004 to accommodate reporting of data on emissions, emission reductions, and sequestration through 2003 under these guidelines.

Administration Launches Climate VISION

On February 12, 2003, the Department of Energy launched the President’s “Climate VISION” (Voluntary Innovative Sector Initiatives: Opportunities Now) on behalf of the Administration. Climate VISION is a voluntary, public-private partnership for pursuing initiatives that will help meet the President’s Climate Change Initiative goal of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emission intensity by 18 percent by 2012. The following 17 associations, representing a broad cross-section of U.S. industry, have committed to establishing and meeting emissions intensity reduction goals: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Aluminum Association, American Chemistry Council, American Forest and Paper Association, American Iron and Steel Institute, American Petroleum Institute, American Public Power Association, Association ofAmerican Railroads, Business Roundtable Table, Edison Electric Institute, Electric Power Supply Association, Magnesium Coalition and the International Magnesium Association, National Mining Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, Portland Cement Association, and Semiconductor Industry Association. (For more information, see http://www.energy.gov/HQPre ss/ releases03/febpr/pr03037.htm).

Greenhouse Gas Registry Legislation Introduced in Senate

Early in the first session of the 108th Congress, the U.S. Senate introduced three bills, each of which would establish a national greenhouse gas emission registry system.

Senator Daschle (D-SD) introduced the Global Climate Security Act of 2003 (S. 17) on January 7, 2003. This bill would require mandatory reporting of direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions for entities exceeding minimum threshold quantities that would be established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The bill would also includes provisions for voluntary reporting of project-level reductions and would require EPA to publish a national greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Lieberman (D-CT) introduced the Climate Stewardship Act of 2003 (S. 139) on January 9, 2003, which would establish a market-driven system of tradable greenhouse gas allowances. S. 139 would also require covered entities to report and register entity-wide emissions at the facility level.

Senators Corzine (D-NY), Jeffords (I-NH), and Lieberman introduced the National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Registry Act of 2003 (S. 194) on January 17, 2003. This bill contains the same language from Title II (National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Registry) and Title VII (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) of S. 17.

More information about these bills can be found on Congress’ Web site at http://thomas.loc.gov.

EIA Releases Annual GHG Emissions Report

EIA is pleased to announce the release of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2001, which is available on the Internet at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ 1605/ggrpt/index.html.

U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases were 1,883.3 million metric tons carbon equivalent in 2001, which represents a 1.2-percent decrease from 2000 emissions levels.