Category: Policy

Trade Group Urges Department of Energy to Place Restrictions on US Natural Gas Exports

A manufacturers trade group has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to order U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers to reduce exports, amid fears of potential supply shortages this winter. In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm (pdf) on Sept. 17, Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a trade group representing chemical, food, and materials manufacturers, asked…


Trade Group Urges Department of Energy to Restrict US Liquefied Natural Gas Exports

A manufacturers trade group has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to order U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers to reduce exports, amid fears of potential supply shortages this winter. In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm (pdf) on Sept. 17, Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA), a trade group representing chemical, food, and materials manufacturers, asked…


New Bill Would Provide Pathway to Citizenship to 200,000 Children of Legal Non-Immigrant Workers

A bill introduced Tuesday by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) would provide a pathway to citizenship to “Documented Dreamers,” or children of long-term non-immigrant visa holders legally residing in the United States. The bill, dubbed “America’s Children Act,” would affect an estimated 200,000 children and young adults living in the United States…


World’s Biggest Battery In California Overheats, Shuts Down

An “overheating incident” at the world’s biggest grid battery in California on Sept. 4 forced three quarters of the station to power down until further notice. South of San Francisco, the largest-of-its-kind Moss Landing energy storage facility recently grew from 300 to 400 megawatts (MW), with the ability to output for four hours. But after…


Pennsylvania Republicans Try to Block School Mask Order

The debate over requiring Pennsylvania school children to wear masks in schools and childcare centers continued Tuesday in Harrisburg with a letter from the House Health Committee, challenging Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam’s authority to order masks in schools. In late August, Democrat Governor Tom Wolf asked the General Assembly to return to Harrisburg and…


Lawmakers Clash on When a Levy is a Tax or a Fee

News Analysis Day one of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s marathon markup of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better spending plan sparked a revealing debate between the parties on whether a proposed new federal levy is a tax or a fee. At the center of the debate is the Biden administration’s proposal…


Pennsylvania Lawmakers Considering Allowing Virtual Meeting Options for Local Governance

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering how municipalities can continue using virtual meeting programs like Zoom when needed for public meetings. In Pennsylvania, each type of municipality—boroughs, cities, and townships—have different codes or laws. Most codes require that, for a board to hold a meeting, it must have a quorum of board members physically present. Outside of emergency…


Doctors Risk Losing License for Opinion on COVID Vaccination Deemed ‘Misinformation’ by Certifying Boards

Three certifying medical boards warn that disciplinary actions will be taken against American physicians who disseminate what the boards allege are “misinformation and disinformation” about COVID-19 vaccines. In a joint statement, the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Family Medicine, and the American Board of Pediatrics issued a statement on Sept. 9…


Doctors Risk Losing License for Opinion on COVID-19 Vaccination Deemed ‘Misinformation’ by Certifying Boards

Three certifying medical boards warn that disciplinary actions will be taken against American physicians who disseminate what the boards allege are “misinformation and disinformation” about COVID-19 vaccines. In a joint statement, the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Family Medicine, and the American Board of Pediatrics issued a statement on Sept. 9…


House Panel Democrats Defeat GOP Attempts to Kill New Biden Natural Gas Tax

House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats defeated multiple Republican amendments Monday during the first day of marking up of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” spending program that is the most massive package of reforms in American government and society since the New Deal. Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) called the program “transformational” and…