Hill Heat

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, led by Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA), will hold an oversight hearing on “Renewable Energy Opportunities and Issues on Federal Lands: Review of Title II, Subtitle B – Geothermal Energy of EPAct.” Other renewable programs and proposals for public resources will also be discussed.

Witnesses:

Panel 1

• Mr. Jim Hughes, Director, Bureau of Land Management
• Professor Jeff Tester, Chair, MIT Climate Change Panel
• Mr. Daniel Kunz, President, US Geothermal Inc.
• Mr. Paul Thomsen, Public Policy Administrator, ORMAT Nevada

Panel 2

• Mr. Randall Swisher, Executive Director, American Wind Energy Association
• Mr. Robert Gough, Secretary, Intertribal Council on Utility Policy
• Ms. Lynn Jungwirth, Executive Director, The Watershed Research and Training Center
• Mr. Joshua Bar-Lev, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Bright Source Energy
• Mr. Will Lutgen, Jr., Executive Director, Northwest Public Power Association

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water and Power, led by Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), will meet in an open markup session of the following bills: H.R. 487 (Herseth), “Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2007,” to amend the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act to provide compensation to members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for damage resulting from the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project, and for other purposes. H.R. 1114 (Young), “Alaska Water Resources Act of 2007,” to require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes. H.R. 1140 (Calvert), “South Orange County Recycled Water Enhancement Act,” to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of an advanced water treatment plant facility and recycled water system, and for other purposes. H.R. 1337 (Cole), To provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District. H.R. 1662 (Napolitano), To amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize improvements for the security of dams and other facilities.

Action: The Subcommittee on Water and Power met in open markup session on Thursday, April 19, 2007, and considered the following bills: H.R. 487 (Herseth) To amend the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Act to provide compensation to members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for damage resulting from the Oahe Dam and Reservoir Project, and for other purposes, the “Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Equitable Compensation Amendments Act of 2007.”

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1114 (Young) To require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, to conduct a study on groundwater resources in the State of Alaska, and for other purposes, the “Alaska Water Resources Act of 2007.”

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1140 (Calvert) To authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of an advanced water treatment plant facility and recycled water system, and for other purposes, the “South Orange County Recycled Water Enhancement Act.”

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1337 (Cole) To provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District.

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

H.R. 1662 (Napolitano) To amend the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act of 1978 to authorize improvements for the security of dams and other facilities.

Forwarded to Full Committee by unanimous consent.

Proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Energy.

The House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans, led by Del. Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), will hold an oversight hearing on “Wildlife and Oceans in a Changing Climate.” Witnesses: Panel 1 William McKibben, Author and Scholar in Residence, Middlebury College Joshua J. Lawler, Ph.D., College of Forest Resources, University of Washington Terry Root, Ph.D., Center for Environmental Science and Policy, Stanford University Monica Medina, Acting Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, United States Office J. Christopher Haney, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Defenders of Wildlife

Panel 2 C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D., Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite Oceanography & Climate Ken Caldeira, Ph.D., Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Washington Joanie Kleypas, Ph.D., Institute for the Study of Society and Environment, National Center for Atmospheric Research Dr. Gary Sharp John Everett, Ph.D., Ocean Associates, Inc.

S.731, to develop a methodology for, and complete, a national assessment of geological storage capacity for carbon dioxide, and S.962, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to reauthorize and improve the carbon capture and storage research, development, and demonstration program of the Department of Energy.