In This Issue:

Energy and Climate Debate; Congress; Administration; Department of Agriculture; Department of Energy; Department of the Interior; Environmental Protection Agency; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; International; States; Sustainability; and Miscellaneous.

Excerpt from Energy and Climate Debate -

With the Memorial Day recess over and the next break a month away, Congress is firming up its summer agenda. The Senate will first consider S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 (the Farm Bill). More than 200 amendments have been filed, but not all will receive a vote. Amendments to note include one by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) to increase the energy title funding to $1.3 billion, another by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) to require the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce cellulosic biofuel requirements when it lowers ethanol requirements as part of the RFS, and one by Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) to repeal the RFS. The energy title has survived, with a little over $900 million in funding. In the Senate version, renewable chemicals are defined and qualify for Section 9003, the Department of Agriculture Biorefinery Assistance Guaranteed Loan Program. Senate Agriculture Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has said she expects the Senate to vote on the bill by the end of the week and the House to consider the bill in mid-June. Bipartisan support for the bill and the negative publicity House leaders received after last year’s failure to vote on it will probably bolster its momentum this year.