T-minus three weeks on energy bill - Coral Davenport - POLITICO.com

T-minus three weeks on energy bill - Coral Davenport - POLITICO.com:

By CORAL DAVENPORT | 7/12/10 4:39 AM ED
"The majority leader is set to meet this week with the five Senate committee leaders who hold jurisdiction over slices of energy and climate legislation. He will give them a scaled-down menu of options prepared by his staff and tell them to assemble an energy package that could get 60 votes. The options will break down into three core elements, and the question will be how the leaders choose to combine them."

Reid faces balancing act crafting energy and climate legislation - The Hill's E2-Wire

Reid faces balancing act crafting energy and climate legislation - The Hill's E2-Wire:

By Darren Goode and Ben Geman - 07/12/10 06:00 AM ET

"The most aggressive option to putting a price on carbon would focus on the electric utility sector and potentially later on manufacturing and other stationary sources of pollution.

Kerry and Lieberman had been trying for a three-sector carbon pricing approach but that option does not appear feasible. They had floated the idea of doing a “utility plus” approach – where power plants would be targeted first and followed later by manufacturers and perhaps other stationary sources – but may be merely one of several options.

A third is a further scaled-back “utility only” option but even that has its detractors."

Post Tech - AT&T, Verizon get most federal aid for phone service

Post Tech - AT&T, Verizon get most federal aid for phone service:

Cecilia Kang

"AT&T and Verizon Communications were the biggest recipients of federal support from an $8 billion phone subsidy program, according to data released Thursday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Over the past three years, AT&T received $1.3 billion in funds to deploy phone lines to rural areas. Verizon got $1.27 billion in the same 2007-09 period.

Lawmakers and public interest groups are questioning the use of those federal funds, much of which appears to go to wireless services areas where telecom companies would be even without support. And they say the fund needs to be overhauled to focus on expanding broadband connections.

“Subscribers now pay close to 14 percent of their long-distance phone bills to subsidize scores of telephone providers in each geographic market, while other providers are serving the same markets without a penny of support,” Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) said in a statement."

Water Bills Still 'Too High' in Graniteville | WJBF–TV

Water Bills Still 'Too High' in Graniteville | WJBF–TV:

"Thomas Scott says that in Graniteville you can tell where people get their water, by the color of their grass.

'Well, mine is a dingy green, turning to weeds and pretty soon it will probably be gone,' said Scott.

He can't water his, because he gets his water from the Valley Public Service Authority who took over the water system after Avondale Mill decided to get out of the water business."

CBO boosts climate bill - Darren Samuelsohn - POLITICO.com

CBO boosts climate bill - Darren Samuelsohn - POLITICO.com:

Darren Samuelsohn

"The CBO analysis of the American Power Act, championed by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) found that government revenues would grow by about $751 billion from 2011 to 2020 if the bill became law. By contrast, the legislation would create direct spending of $732 billion over the same 10-year period."

U.S. Appeals Court Turns Down Moratorium on Drilling in Gulf - NYTimes.com

U.S. Appeals Court Turns Down Moratorium on Drilling in Gulf - NYTimes.com:

John M. Broder

"A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in New Orleans, ruled shortly after a hearing in a lawsuit filed by companies that claim they are being financially crippled by the suspension of drilling."

Members Against Rate Hikes Kicked Off PSC Board - Money News Story - WFTV Orlando

Members Against Rate Hikes Kicked Off PSC Board - Money News Story - WFTV Orlando

Now, two of those commissioners are out and Argenziano and Skop have also learned they won't be reappointed to the five-member board.“It's either the utilities get their way or you lose your job,” Argenziano said.Skop and Argenziano say state lawmakers were influenced by big power companies to leave their names off of a list of finalists from which Governor Crist has to choose his appointees.“Were you retaliated against?” WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen asked.“I would say yes, absolutely. Not just retaliation, it is to say, to be honest with you, in my opinion, some people think they own the process and you don't own the people's process,” Argenziano said.