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CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION DESIGN WHITE PAPERS

The Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality are issuing a series of Climate Change Legislation Design White Papers as the next step toward enactment of a mandatory, economy-wide climate change program. While the hearings earlier in this Congress were designed to give the Committee an understanding of the status and projected path of climate change and potential ways to address it, these White Papers and the hearings on them will focus on the construction of mandatory, economy-wide climate change legislation. The White Papers will describe the basic design and key principles of a regulatory program and also identify issues about which further information and discussion is desirable.

White Paper: Getting the Most Greenhouse Gas Reductions for Our Money (May 27, 2008)

This White Paper addresses different potential mechanisms for limiting the cost and maximizing the efficiency of a mandatory, comprehensive climate change program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent by 2050.

Read the WHITE PAPER (pdf) »
Read Memorandum to Members of the Committee (pdf) »

White Paper: Appropriate Roles for Different Levels of Government (Feb. 25, 2008)

This paper is intended to foster discussion by raising key factors that should be considered in determining what roles are appropriate for each level of government.

Read the WHITE PAPER (pdf) »
Read Memorandum to Members of the Committee (pdf) »

White Paper: Competitiveness Concerns/Engaging Developing Countries (Jan. 31, 2008)

This White Paper discusses potential domestic legislative provisions that could encourage developing countries to curb their emissions of greenhouse gases.

Read the WHITE PAPER (pdf) »
Read Memorandum to Members of the Committee (pdf) »

White Paper: Scope of a Cap-and-Trade Program (Oct. 3, 2007)

This White Paper identifies the economic sectors and activities that are directly emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) and how those emissions could be included in a cap-and-trade program.

Read the WHITE PAPER (pdf) »
Read Memorandum to Members of the Committee (pdf) »
Read Dear Colleague Letter (pdf) »

Additional Information regarding the Committee's Work on Climate Change:

NEWS | SPEECHES | LETTERS | RESPONSES | MEMOS | HEARINGS

NEWS RELEASES REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES:

Energy & Commerce Leaders Urge Bush to Incentivize Loan Guarantees at 80 Percent -- Read May 3, 2007, News Release »

Dingell, Boucher Release Industry, Environmental Views on Prospective Climate Change Legislation -- Read Apr. 19, 2007, News Release »

Dingell/Boucher Solicit Recommendations On Climate Change in Preparation of Upcoming Legislation -- Read Feb. 28, 2007, News Release »

SPEECHES:

Dingell Speaks about Climate Change at the Detroit Economic Club -- Read Statement of the Honorable John D. Dingell »

LETTERS (in pdf format):

May 24, 2007 --: Letter to interested parties regarding energy portfolio standards
May 3, 2007 --: Letter to the President
Feb. 27, 2007 --: Letter to energy industry groups
Feb. 27, 2007 --: Letter to the environmental community
Jan. 25, 2007 --: Letter to the National Economic Council about the President's energy proposals in the State of the Union address
Jan. 25, 2007 --: Letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding the President's proposals for new authority for NHTSA to establish Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars and trucks

AVAILABLE RESPONSES TO THE ABOVE LETTERS (in pdf format):

Stakeholders Responses to the Dingell/Boucher Letter of May 24, 2007

Industry/NGO Responses to the Dingell/Boucher Letter of February 27, 2007
-- from Solicited Organizations
-- from Unsolicited Organizations

MEMORANDUMS (in pdf format):

Jan. 17, 2007 --
Memorandum to Democratic Committee Members from Chairmen Dingell and Boucher on the Climate Change Agenda

HEARINGS HELD ON CLIMATE CHANGE:

June 7, 2007	Legislative Hearing on Discussion Draft Concerning Alternative Fuels, Infrastructure, and Vehicles
May 24, 2007	Legislative Hearing on Discussion Drafts concerning Energy Efficiency, Smart Electricity Grid, Energy Policy Act of 2005 Title XVII Loan Guarantees, and Standby Loans for Coal-to-Liquids Projects (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
May 8, 2007	Alternative Fuels: Current Status, Proposals for New Standards, and Related Infrastructure Issues (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
May 3, 2007	Facilitating the Transition to a Smart Electric Grid (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
May 1, 2007	Achieving - At Long Last - Appliance Efficiency Standards (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
April 24, 2007	Implementation of EPACT 2005 Loan Guarantee Programs by the Department of Energy
April 18, 2007	Alternative Transportation Fuels: An Overview (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
March 29, 2007	Climate Change - Lessons Learned from Existing Cap-and-Trade Programs (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
March 27, 2007	Climate Change - International Issues, Engaging Developing Countries
March 21, 2007	Perspectives on Climate Change
March 20, 2007	Climate Change: Perspectives of Utility CEOs (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
March 15, 2007	Climate Change: State and Local Perspectives (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
March 14, 2007	Climate Change and Energy Security: Perspectives from the Automobile Industry (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
March 7, 2007	Climate Change: Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Human Activities Contributing to a Warming of the Planet? (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
March 6, 2007	Carbon Capture and Sequestration: An Overview (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
February 28, 2007	A Review of the Administration's Energy Proposal for the Transportation Sector (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)
February 13, 2007	Addressing Climate Change -- Views from Private Sector Panels (Read Opening Statement of Chairman Dingell)