OVERNIGHT ENERGY: NHL’s climate fight

by Laura Barron-Lopez and Timothy Cama - 07/21/14 7:02 PM ET

NHL OUTLINES CLIMATE ACTION: Climate change is threatening the very foundation of the National Hockey League: winter.

The NHL is making climate change mitigation a key priority because hotter temperatures are decreasing the number of frozen ponds the next generation of hockey players can play on.

{mosads}To spread the message the NHL released a first-of-its-kind report Monday on the measures it is taking at every NHL facility to increase energy efficiency and cut its carbon footprint.

The report reveals that on average an NHL game will emit 408 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Read more about the report here.

YES, JUNE WAS THAT HOT: Last month was the hottest June since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began taking records in 1880, the agency reported. The month before it was the hottest May on record.

All of the earth’s surfaces averaged 61.2 degrees Fahrenheit in June, according to NOAA. Ocean surface temperatures also hit an all-time high at 57.61 degrees.

June was the 352nd month in a row in which the global temperature was above the 20th century average, according to NOAA.

ON TAP TUESDAY I: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee’s subcommittee on employment and workplace safety will hold a hearing Tuesday on black lung disease and unethical legal and medical practices related to it.

Senators will hear from representatives of the Labor Department, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an insurance consultant, an attorney, a surgeon and a coal miner.

ON TAP TUESDAY II: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is hosting a hearing Tuesday on the revenue and job opportunities in further developing the country’s energy resources. Witnesses will represent the Interior Department and a variety of stakeholders.

Rest of Tuesday’s agenda…

The Partnership for a Better Energy Future, a coalition of business groups, will host a conference call to announce a letter they’re sending to the Environmental Protection Agency about its carbon emissions standards for power plants. Leaders from the National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, the National Mining Association, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, the American Petroleum Institute and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association will participate.

The Environmental Law Institute will bring together energy experts to discuss how to improve energy performance at industrial facilities.

A subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on the national security implications of international energy and climate policies. The panel will hear from leaders in the State Department, the United States Agency for International Development, the Defense Department, plus representatives from outside think tanks.

The United States National Academies will release a report from the National Research Council about risk reduction strategies for coastal flooding along the East and Gulf coasts.

NEWS BITES:

LNG exports … A number of stakeholders submitted their comments to the Energy Department on its new process to speed up natural gas exports to non-Free Trade Agreement countries Monday.

Oil lobby American Petroleum Institute said: “As the world’s top producer of natural gas, we should be tearing down regulatory barriers to access foreign markets, which would in turn boost economic growth here at home, create thousands of jobs, and cement our status as a global energy superpower. With bipartisan support for policies to speed LNG exports, we hope that the Department will amend its processes, if at all, in ways that unlock the economic and strategic potential of America’s energy revolution, not shut it down.”

The Sierra Club said: “The Department of Energy is part of an administration that wants to address climate disruption head-on. However, the DOE’s analysis of LNG lifecycle emissions falls short on several fronts. First, it needs to reflect the many recent studies that show that EPA has drastically underestimated the amount of methane leaked during gas production. Equally important, the analysis fails to take into account that LNG will displace new clean energy projects in the importing countries, and the increase in drilling and fracking to meet export demand will increase overall carbon pollution emissions, putting it at odds with the Administration’s goal to reduce carbon pollution emissions 17 percent by 2020.”

Colorado politics … We wanted to highlight this piece from The Wall Street Journal, which reports oil and gas companies have a new favorite and are showing it in campaign spending. Since Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) announced his plan to challenge incumbent Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) for his Senate seat, the oil and gas industry has been funneling money into his campaign.

“Between the first and second quarters, the industry gave $223,600 to Mr. Gardner and just $41,460 to Mr. Udall, according to the Center for Responsive Politics,” the Wall Street Journal writes.

Those contributions may not hurt Udall as much as his Democratic party in Colorado, however. The Hill took a look at how two ballot initiatives on fracking are creating a headache for the vulnerable Democrat there.

AROUND THE WEB:

Most major U.S. coal companies are likely to report losses in the second quarter due to dropping natural gas prices, transportation problems and a mild summer, SNL Financial reports.

An evacuation order has been lifted following a Sunday night train derailment in which 4,000 gallons of diesel were spilled in southeastern Wisconsin, Reuters reports.

Oilfield services company Halliburton Co. saw its profits grow 21 percent in the second quarter as demand for oil equipment increased in North America, the Houston Chronicle reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Monday’s stories…

– Report: Sunday shows give climate change more air time
– Green groups want nuclear regulator to step down
– Energy playing greater role in foreign policy, State envoy says
– June follow May — also the hottest on record
– NHL outlines plan to fight climate change
– Mexico’s electricity reform advances
– Whirlpool pushes to limit Energy Star lawsuits
– Drought hurting California’s clean energy goals
– Week ahead: Senators square off on EPA climate rule