Congressional Research Service Reports - 55 Matching Results

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Energy Policy: 113th Congress Issues

Description: This report discusses various aspects and considerations regarding energy policy in the United States. The report covers topics including energy conservation, efficiency, supply, prices and legislation.
Date: January 3, 2013
Creator: Behrens, Carl E.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hydraulic Fracturing and Safe Drinking Water Act Regulatory Issues

Description: This report reviews past and proposed treatment of hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the principal federal statute for regulating the underground injection of fluids to protect groundwater sources of drinking water. It reviews current SDWA provisions for regulating underground injection activities, and discusses some possible implications of the enactment of legislation authorizing EPA to regulate hydraulic fracturing (beyond diesel) under this statute.
Date: January 10, 2013
Creator: Tiemann, Mary & Vann, Adam
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hydropower: Federal and Nonfederal Investment

Description: This report explains how the federal government is involved directly in hydropower generation at federal facilities and in the regulation of nonfederal hydropower generation; the focus is on current roles and processes and common concerns and questions about changing those roles.
Date: January 22, 2013
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi; Stern, Charles V. & Vann, Adam
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Keystone XL Pipeline Project: Key Issues

Description: This report describes the Keystone XL Project Presidential Permit application, and the process that the State Department is obligated to complete in processing that permit application. It also reviews selected issues that arose during the 2008 permit application process, particularly those that may affect the current permit application. This report also summarizes key arguments that have been raised, both for and against the pipeline, by the pipeline's developers, state and federal agencies, en… more
Date: January 24, 2013
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.; Pirog, Robert; Luther, Linda & Vann, Adam
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Prospects for Coal in Electric Power and Industry

Description: This report discusses future prospects for coal as the dominant fuel used in electricity production. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects coal to be a significant part of the U.S. power generation industry's future to well past 2030, but given price competition from natural gas, and emerging environmental regulations, that role will likely be smaller than in recent decades. Coal-fired generation is likely to face a challenging future.
Date: February 4, 2013
Creator: Campbell, Richard J.; Folger, Peter & Brown, Phillip
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Alternative Fuels: Policy, Initiatives and Legislative Activity

Description: This report provides background information and identifies issues for Congress regarding Department of Defense (DOD) alternative fuel initiatives, a subject of debate at congressional hearings on DOD's proposed FY2013 budget. The services (the Army, Navy, and Air Force) have spent approximately $48 million to purchase alternative fuels, and the Navy has proposed a $170 million investment in biofuel production capacity. The services have also spent funds on testing, certification and demonstrati… more
Date: February 11, 2013
Creator: Blakeley, Katherine
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Meeting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Mandate for Cellulosic Biofuels: Questions and Answers

Description: This report, in a question and answer format, discusses some challenges facing the cellulosic biofuels community, including feedstock supply estimates, and potential legislative options to address cellulosic biofuels production uncertainty for the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Date: March 11, 2013
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Overview and Issues

Description: This report focuses specifically on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It describes the general nature of the biofuels RFS and its implementation, and outlines some of the emerging issues related to the sustainability of the continued growth in U.S. biofuels production needed to fulfill the expanding RFS mandate, as well as the emergence of potential unintended consequences of this rapid expansion. This report does not address the broader public policy issue of how best to support U.S. energy p… more
Date: March 14, 2013
Creator: Schnepf, Randy & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. and World Coal Production, Federal Taxes, and Incentives

Description: This report serves as a primer on U.S. and world coal resources and production and highlights some of the congressional interest related to coal production on U.S. federal lands. The report primarily describes the past 10 years of coal activity but also includes a discussion of future coal production projections and federal coal incentives, many of which do not expire.
Date: March 14, 2013
Creator: Humphries, Marc & Sherlock, Molly F.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Canadian Oil Sands: Life-Cycle Assessments of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Description: This report discusses the basic methodology of life-cycle assessments and compares several of the publicly available studies of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data for Canadian oil sands crudes against each other and against those of other global reference crudes. As congressional concern over the environmental impacts of Canadian oil sands production may encompass both a broad understanding of the resource as well as a specific assessment of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the report survey… more
Date: March 15, 2013
Creator: Lattanzio, Richard K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework

Description: This report explains the nature of U.S. authority over offshore areas pursuant to international and domestic law. It also describes the laws, at both the state and federal levels, governing the development of offshore oil and gas and the litigation that has flowed from development under these legal regimes. Also included is an outline of recent changes to the authorities regulating offshore development, as well as a discussion of recent executive action and legislative proposals concerning offs… more
Date: March 21, 2013
Creator: Vann, Adam
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Keystone XL Pipeline Project: Key Issues

Description: This report describes the Keystone XL Project and the process that the State Department is obligated to complete in processing that permit application. It also reviews selected issues that arose during the 2008 permit application process, particularly those that may affect the current permit application. This report also summarizes key arguments that have been raised by the pipeline's developers, state and federal agencies, environmental groups, and other stakeholders. Finally, the report discu… more
Date: April 9, 2013
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.; Pirog, Robert; Luther, Linda & Vann, Adam
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The World Bank Group Energy Sector Strategy

Description: This report summarizes the provisions of the proposed Energy Sector Strategy of the World Bank Group (WBG). It situates the strategy within current WBG lending practices and in response to various stakeholder critiques. A final section outlines issues for Congress.
Date: April 16, 2013
Creator: Lattanzio, Richard K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Energy: Overview of Congressional Issues

Description: This report discusses issues regarding the use of nuclear energy in light of the Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster, which has lead several countries to reconsider the breadth of their nuclear programs. The report provides basic facts and statistics and then focuses specifically on major issues including safety, radioactive waste, policy, emergency response, and the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.
Date: April 29, 2013
Creator: Holt, Mark
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture-Based Biofuels: Overview and Emerging Issues

Description: This report reviews the evolution of the U.S. biofuels sector and the role that federal policy has played in shaping its development. In addition, it highlights emerging issues that are critical to the biofuels sector and of relevance to Congress.
Date: May 1, 2013
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Keystone XL Pipeline Project: Key Issues

Description: This report describes the Keystone XL Project Presidential Permit application, and the process that the State Department is obligated to complete in processing that permit application. It also reviews selected issues that arose during the 2008 permit application process, particularly those that may affect the current permit application. This report also summarizes key arguments that have been raised, both for and against the pipeline, by the pipeline's developers, state and federal agencies, en… more
Date: May 7, 2013
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.; Pirog, Robert; Luther, Linda & Vann, Adam
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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