Clean Power Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-366
Sponsor: Sen. Jeffords, James M. [I-VT]
Introduced: 2003-02-12 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Acid rain
Administrative procedure
Agricultural conservation
Agriculture and Food
Air pollution control
Alternative energy sources
Animals
Appalachia
Biomass energy
Carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide
Chesapeake Bay
Coal
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Dislocated workers
Ecological research
Economics and Public Finance
Ecosystem management
Electric power production
Emissions trading
Energy
Energy conservation
Energy efficiency
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental monitoring
Environmental research
Environmental technology
Fishery management
Forest conservation
Fuel cells
Geothermal resources
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Grassland ecology
Great Lakes
Habitat conservation
Job hunting
Labor and Employment
Lakes
Landfills
Law
Long Island Sound
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Mercury
Methane
Mountain States
Mountains
Natural gas
New York State
Nitrogen oxides
Open space lands
Ozone
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Range management
Refuse as fuel
Revolving funds
Science, Technology, Communications
Smog
Solar energy
Standards
Stream conservation
Sulphur dioxide
Vermont
Water Resources Development
Watersheds
Wind power

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-12
text: Clean Power Act of 2003 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations to achieve specified reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury from certain electric generation facilities by January 1, 2009 (January 1, 2008, for mercury emissions). Directs the Administrator to establish an emission allowance tracking and transfer system. Makes a special rule for mercury emissions. Directs the Administrator to study the impact of emission allowance trading. Limits the trading of allowances with facilities other than electricity generating facilities to certain carbon dioxide emission control programs. Provides an allocation to: (1) dislocated workers; (2) disproportionately adversely impacted communities; (3) electricity generating facilities; (4) renewable electricity generating units; (5) efficiency projects; (6) cleaner energy sources; and (7) biological carbon sequestration activities. Directs the Administrator to establish and annually review emission limitations for mercury. Requires that captured or recovered emissions not be re-released into the environment. Requires the Administrator to request information from owners/operators about hazardous air pollutants other than mercury. Directs the Administrator to then propose and promulgate emission standards. Requires facilities to achieve specified emission standards should the regulations not be promulgated. Requires an assessment and identification of sensitive ecosystems and the objectives necessary for their protection, including the Adirondack, the mid-Appalachian, Rocky, and southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Includes as well the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-02-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1515-1517)
action_date: 2003-02-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text of measure as introduced: CR S2346-2351)
action_date: 2003-02-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2345-2346)
action_date: 2003-02-12
text: Introduced in Senate