OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Steyer ponders Senate run on Reddit

by Laura Barron-Lopez and Timothy Cama - 01/15/15 6:26 PM ET

THE 2016 DILEMMA: Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer is contemplating whether to run or not to run for Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) Senate seat when she retires at the end of her term in 2016.

In line with the tech savvy of California’s Silicon Valley, Steyer took his pondering to online discussion forum Reddit, for an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session with the public.

{mosads}”Question is, can I have more positive influence by running? I’m trying hard to figure that out, and will do it pretty soon,” he said.

Steyer’s other answers discussed Keystone XL, campaign finance, gas prices, his tie and his favorite Pokemon.

Read more here.

ON TAP FRIDAY I: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will unveil new data about 2014’s global temperatures, in addition to information about how major weather events fit into climate patterns. Officials are likely to confirm whether or not 2014 was the hottest year on record.

ON TAP FRIDAY II: Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy will join Vice President Joe Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to tour Washington, D.C.’s construction of the Anacostia River Tunnel, a project to store sewage overflows and keep it out of fresh water. They will speak afterward on the importance of investing in infrastructure.

Rest of agenda… Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and John Sarbanes, (D-Md.) will hold a press conference to discuss the conservation benefits of grants to the Chesapeake Bay watershed program in the 2014 Farm Bill.

NEWS BITES:

Carbon… Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) wrote to the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday to promote carbon capture and utilization technology for coal-fired power plants.

The senators agree on the science of climate change and that something should be done, but they’ve been known to clash over the role of coal.

“Companies and research institutions across the country, including innovators in Rhode Island and West Virginia, are developing a wide range of CCU technologies,” they wrote. “As your agencies explore ways to reduce emissions, we urge you to support these efforts and promote innovative CCU technologies that will create jobs, save consumers money, and safeguard our environment.”

Voter priorities… In a new poll from Pew Research, 51 percent of voters ranked environmental protection as something that should be a “top priority” for the president and Congress in 2015 while 37 percent ranked it as important but a “lower priority.”

Similarly, nearly four-in-ten voters say global warming should be a top priority, but concern about the issue is divided along party lines. The importance of global warming as a top priority voters want addressed in 2015 has increased among Democrats by 16 points since last year from 38 percent to 54 percent. A majority of Republicans say addressing global warming is not important (31 percent) or shouldn’t be done (31 percent).

AROUND THE WEB:

Pollution volumes have reached hazardous levels in Beijing in recent days, 20 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit, BBC News reports.

BP is planning to lay off 300 employees working in its European North Sea operations due to low oil prices, which is also causing the United Kingdom’s oil lobby to push for big tax cuts, the Guardian reports.

West Virginia Republicans have started working on legislation to repeal the state’s renewable energy mandate for utilities, West Virginia Public Radio reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Thursday’s stories…

– Boehner: ‘I’ll let scientists’ debate climate change

– Steyer: Senate decision hinges on ‘positive impact’

– Solar industry adds 31,000 jobs

– House to consider natural gas pipeline permitting bill next week

– WHIP LIST: Senate fault lines harden on Keystone debate

– Oil lobby pressures Obama ahead of State of the Union

– Voters disagree with GOP on environment, liberal group says

– Poll: Majority support Keystone pipeline

– Pope says climate change is mostly man-made

– EPA unveils first methane regulations