OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Climate change has its day

RIDING ON THE POLAR VOTEX’S COATTAILS: Climate change policies will have their day in Congress on Tuesday.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Sen. Sheldon Whtiehouse (D-R.I.), co-chairmen on the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change, will host representatives from a village in Alaska that is being threatened by growing climate changes.

While much of the Midwest and East Coast experienced subzero temperatures last week, the effects of climate change are “thawing permafrost and melting sea ice” around the Alaskan village of Shishmaref.

{mosads}The event adds to a push by Democrats to heighten awareness of climate change.

Senate Democrats will continue the momentum on climate issues later Tuesday afternoon.

Whitehouse, with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), will announce the new Climate Action Task Force at a press conference on Tuesday.

They will discuss the new task force and plans to address climate change issues in 2014. When touting the new group, Boxer said it’s time to “wake up Congress.”

Rest of Tuesday’s agenda … On the other side of the climate coin, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will consider legislation by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) that attempts to curb the Environmental Protection Agency and regulatory overreach.

The bill is mean to make new performance standards for coal-fired power plants more transparent. A subcommittee plans to vote on the legislation Tuesday.

NEWS BITES:

Speaking of climate change …

Risky Business, the climate task force created former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, announced the latest high-profile members of its group on Monday.

New members of the Climate Risk Committee include former Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), former Secretary of State George Shultz, and co-chairman on the Council on Foreign Relations Robert Rubin.

Latest on the push for improved railcar safety …

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the Dec. 30 railcar accident in Casselton, N.D. The report found that roughly 400,000 gallons of crude oil spilled after two trains collided, and that 18 of the 21 that derailed were punctured.

AROUND THE WEB:

Because some more energy news is exactly what the doctor ordered … 

ABC News reports that the price of crude oil fell to roughly $92 a barrel on Monday with a possible increase in exports from Iran would flood global markets.

Bloomberg reports that while China may be the top emitter of greenhouse gases, United Nation’s chief climate official says it is the one “doing it right” when it comes to initiatives regulating climate change.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out the stories that ran on E2-Wire on Monday …

– Conservative group pulls ads targeting Rahall on carbon tax
– Water restrictions lifted on day five of W.Va. chemical spill
– U.S. carbon emissions rose 2 percent in 2013
– Week ahead: Senate to zone in on climate
– BP oil spill settlement upheld

Please send tips and comments to Laura Barron-Lopez, laurab@digital-stage.thehill.com.