Congressional Research Service Reports - 804 Matching Results
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- Energy Policy: The Continuing Debate and Omnibus Energy Legislation
- This report discusses a variety of issues pertaining to energy policy. It includes information about most recent developments, background and analysis broken down into major categories, and relevant legislation.
- Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy: The CAFE Standards
- This report discusses energy legislation pertaining to fuel standards. The current corporate average fuel economy standard (CAFE) is 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for passenger automobiles and 20.7 mpg for light trucks (scheduled to increase to 22.2 mpg in model year [MY] 2007), a classification that also includes sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Congress had included language in the FY1996-FY2001 Transportation Appropriations prohibiting the use of appropriated funds for any rulemaking on CAFE, effectively freezing the standards.
- Appropriations for FY2004: Energy and Water Development
- This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year, related to energy and water development. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Energy and Water Development. It summarizes the status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity, and is updated as events warrant.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Controversies for the 108th Congress
- This report discusses one major element of the energy debate in the 108th Congress, which has been whether to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska, and if so, under what conditions, or whether to continue to prohibit development to protect the area's biological resources. The Refuge is an area rich in fauna, flora, and commercial oil potential. Current law forbids energy leasing in the Refuge.
- Navy Ship Propulsion Technologies: Options for Reducing Oil Use -- Background for Congress
- This report provides background information on options for technologies that could reduce the Navy's dependence on oil for its ships, as well as four general strategies for reducing the Navy's dependence on oil for its ships: reducing energy use on Navy ships; alternative hydrocarbon fuels; nuclear propulsion; and sail and solar power.
- Wave, Tidal, and In-Stream Energy Projects: Which Federal Agency Has the Lead?
- This report describes wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technologies -- also referred to as hydrokinetic or marine energy. It discusses the recent changes in law aimed to clarify the federal role in ocean wave and renewable energy.
- Issues Affecting Tidal, Wave, and In-Stream Generation Projects
- This report provides an overview of developments and considerations regarding wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technology. It summarizes federal involvement in the regulation of this new industry and highlights current issues in the field.
- Wind Energy: Offshore Permitting
- This report discusses the disputes over Corps jurisdiction prior to enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 as well as the current law applicable to siting offshore wind facilities.
- Derivatives, Risk Management, and Policy in the Energy Markets
- This report provides a systematic guide to understanding the use of financial derivative contracts in the energy industry, focusing specifically on the petroleum and natural gas sectors.
- Nuclear Power: Outlook for New U.S. Reactors
- This report includes analyses of the potential effect of the tax credit for nuclear power provided by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and possible competitive effects of various proposals to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Legislation in the 110th Congress
- This report reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Action has focused on legislation to increase funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
- Renewable Energy Policy in the 2007 Farm Bill
- This report provides a summary of major legislative proposals for change in the farm bill energy title (Title IX) and compares current law with energy provisions from the recently approved House 2007 farm bill.
- Alaska Natural Gas Pipelines: Interaction of the Natural Gas and Steel Markets
- In 1976, Congress approved legislation to establish the regulatory framework for building a pipeline to bring natural gas from the Alaska North Slope to the lower 48 states. This report focuses on two major issues or uncertainties that may serve as economic constraints on a capital investment undertaking of this major scale.
- U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Rising Oil Prices
- This report provides an estimate of the initial impact of the rising oil prices on the nation's merchandise trade deficit.
- Biofuels Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs
- This report outlines federal programs that provide direct or indirect incentives for biofuels. For each program described, the report provides details including administering agency, authorizing statute(s), annual funding, and expiration date.
- Gasoline Prices: Issues for the 110th Congress
- This report discusses potential issues regarding gasoline prices for the 110th Congress. As prices continued to surge, the continuing crisis renewed attention on some issues that were dropped or compromised in the debate over P.L. 109-58, as well as to a number of initiatives to reduce the impact of high prices on consumers.
- The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program: How are State Allotments Determined?
- This report discusses the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is a block grant program under which the federal government provides states annual grants to operate multi-component home energy assistance programs for needy households.
- Wave, Tidal, and In-Stream Energy Projects: Which Federal Agency Has the Lead?
- This report describes wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technologies -- also referred to as hydrokinetic or marine energy. It discusses the recent changes in law aimed to clarify the federal role in ocean wave and renewable energy.
- Energy Tax Policy: History and Current Issues
- This report provides historical context regarding energy tax policy and discusses what may lie ahead.
- Energy Policy: Conceptual Framework and Continuing Issues
- This report discusses major policy approaches, provides a conceptual framework for categorizing energy policy proposals, and briefly describes energy issues that remain current in the debate after the enactment of EPACT.
- Wave, Tidal, and In-Stream Energy Projects: Which Federal Agency Has the Lead?
- This report describes wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technologies -- also referred to as hydrokinetic or marine energy. It discusses the recent changes in law aimed to clarify the federal role in ocean wave and renewable energy.
- Issues Affecting Tidal, Wave, and In-Stream Generation Projects
- This report provides an overview of developments and considerations regarding wave, tidal, and in-stream energy generation technology. It summarizes federal involvement in the regulation of this new industry and highlights current issues in the field.
- The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Program and Funding
- This report discusses Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP) funds for FY2006 and FY2007. It also discusses current issues and legislation related to LIHEAP.
- Nuclear Energy Policy
- This report discusses the nuclear energy policy issues facing Congress that include the implementation of federal incentives for new commercial reactors, radioactive waste management policy, research and development priorities, power plant safety and regulation, nuclear weapons proliferation, and security against terrorist attacks.
- Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues
- This report provides background an analysis of renewably energy, its contribution to the national energy supply, role in the long-term energy supply, history, relevant provisions considered during the 109th Congress, relation to the Department of Energy (DOE) budget for FY2006, energy production, and relation to climate change. It also includes information about relevant legislation, Congressional hearings, reports, and documents, and other resources.
- Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress
- This report discusses the increasing attention being paid to alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles, the proponents of which point to their potential to improve urban air quality, decrease dependence on foreign oil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report also discusses the major barriers currently preventing widespread use of such technologies, and discusses these technologies in the particular contexts of the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
- Energy Tax Policy
- This report discusses the history, current posture, and outlook for federal energy tax policy. It also discusses recent energy tax proposals, focusing on the major energy tax provisions that were debated as part of omnibus energy legislation in the 108th Congress (e.g., H.R. 6), which may be reintroduced in the 109th Congress.
- Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues
- This report discusses budget issues regarding renewable energy programs. In the 108th Congress, debate over renewable energy programs has focused on tax credits, incentives, budget, and provisions of the omnibus energy policy bill H.R. 6.
- Gasoline Prices: New Legislation and Proposals
- This report discusses policy options for Congress regarding gas prices. The high price of gasoline was an important consideration during the debate on major energy legislation, which ended with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6 (P.L. 109-58). However, prices continued to surge, due to a large number of factors, such as the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Gulf Coast refineries, an increased world demand for crude oil, and inadequate U.S. refinery capacity.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Background and Issues
- The report begins with background on the geography and history of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). It also discusses the most common legislative issues, such as energy development, and provides an extensive review of the resources of the 1002 area, including the current status, regulations, and potential effects of development of those resources.A glossary is included to define the key terms and acronyms.
- Energy Efficiency: Budget, Oil Conservation, and Electricity Conservation Issues
- This report discusses various budget issues regarding the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency Program, which is conducted by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
- Government Activities to Protect the Electric Grid
- This report provides a description of initiatives within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Defense to protect the physical electrical utility infrastructure from outages caused by a range of activities including system operator errors, weather-related damage, and terrorist attacks. While the electric utility industry has primary responsibility, federal and state government agencies also have been addressing physical security concerns.
- Biofuels Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs
- No Description Available.
- Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress
- This report provides an overview of an omnibus energy legislation (H.R. 6), including revisions made and a history of the legislation.
- Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Legislation in the 107th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Appropriations for FY2005: Energy and Water Development
- This report is a guide to the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill, including the funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), most of the Department of Energy (DOE), and a number of independent agencies.
- Energy Efficiency: Budget, Oil Conservation, and Electricity Conservation Issues
- This report includes information related to energy efficiency, including history, various bills and budgets, and conservation. Climate change and energy security related to energy efficiency are also discussed in this report.
- Energy Policy: The Continuing Debate and Omnibus Energy Legislation (H.R. 6)
- This report includes background and analysis on the debate on energy policy, as well as Omnibus energy legislation. Electricity restructuring, nuclear energy, and renewable energy and fuels are among topics discussed in this report.
- Gasoline Prices: Causes of Increases and Congressional Response
- This report discusses the causes of increases in Gasoline Prices and also includes the Congressional response.
- S. 2557, “Oil and Gas Industry Antitrust Act of 2006”: Brief Legal Analysis
- This report analyzes ways to improve antitrust laws through S.557. These include, but are not limited to: mitigating regional shortages of oil petroleum and natural gas products, creating a federal task force to analyze information-sharing in the industry, and make U.S. antitrust laws applicable to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
- Energy Tax Policy
- No Description Available.
- Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues
- This report details information such as history and analyses of renewable energy tax credit, budget, and electricity production issues.
- Gasoline Prices: Legislation in the 110th Congress
- This report provides information related to the high prices of Gasoline and discusses Legislation in the 110th Congress.
- Developments in Oil Shale
- No Description Available.
- Energy: Selected Facts and Numbers
- No Description Available.
- Renewable Energy: Tax Credit, Budget, and Electricity Production Issues
- Renewable energy is derived from resources that are generally not depleted by human use, such as the sun, wind, and water movement. This report discusses various aspects of policy regarding renewable energy including tax credits and budget legislation.
- U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Changing Oil Prices
- Petroleum prices rose sharply in the first half of 2008, at one time reaching more than $140 per barrel of crude oil. This report provides an estimate of the initial impact of the changing oil prices on the nation’s merchandise trade deficit.
- The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- This report provides background on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP), originally established in 1981 by Title XXVI of P.L. 97-35 and reauthorized several times. It is a block grant program under which the federal government gives states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and commonwealths, and Indian tribal organizations (referred to as grantees) annual grants to operate multi-component home energy assistance programs for needy households.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Perspective on the Top 20 Emitters and Developed Versus Developing Nations
- This report uses the data compiled by World Resources Institute (WRI) to examine a pivotal and long-running issue surrounding U.S. climate change policy: the appropriate roles of developed and developing countries in addressing climate change.
- Latin America: Energy Supply, Political Developments, and U.S. Policy Approaches
- This report examines Latin America’s current political environment and its apparent effect on energy production in the region. It also discusses efforts to help many Latin American and Caribbean countries dependent on energy imports, including Venezuela’s preferential oil programs, the Mexico-led Meso-American Energy Integration Program, and U.S.-Brazilian cooperation on biofuels. The report also examines policy approaches that have been proposed for increased hemispheric energy cooperation, congressional interest in the topic of hemispheric energy security, and related legislative initiatives.