Tuesday, April 19, 2016

USA: Legislation Supporting Geothermal Energy Could Pass Senate This Week

Murkowski’s energy bill revived in Senate, passage expected this week (Alaska Journal of Commerce)

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday revived a wide-ranging bill - S. 2012 - The Energy Policy Modernization Act (EPMA) - that would promote a variety of energy sources, from renewables such as solar and wind power to natural gas, hydropower and geothermal energy.

The bill also would speed federal approval of projects to export liquefied natural gas to Europe and Asia, update building codes to increase efficiency and strengthen electric-grid safety standards among dozens of provisions.

Senate passage is expected this week. The measure must be reconciled with a House-passed bill that boosts oil and natural gas and speeds completion of environmental reviews for a proposed coal export terminal in Washington state. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the House measure.

If approved by both chambers and signed by Obama, the bill would be first far-reaching energy law in nearly a decade.

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