A week after beginning a historic debate concerning climate change, renewable energy, and the difficult choices that need to be made to bring about a low-carbon energy sector, the Congress returns to a more measured pace on the issue this week. As you will recall, the Climate Security Act was pulled from consideration last week after it became clear that comprehensive climate change legislation would not get the 60 votes needed in order to cut off debate and move to votes on specific amendments. There is little encore, with only a single hearing (on biofuels) in the Senate and a smattering of hearings in the House.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will consider biofuels on Thursday with a hearing entitled “Renewable Fuels and Food Prices.” Scheduled to appear are Any Karsner, the Assistant Secretary of Energy for efficiency and renewables; Joseph Glauber, the chief economist at the Department of Agriculture; Joe Outlaw, the director of the Food Policy Center at Texas A&M; and Jason Pyle, the CEO of Saphire Energy of San Diego.

There are three hearings in the House of interest:

The Science Committee holds a hearing on hybrid technologies for commercial trucks on Tuesday. Scheduled to testify are Jill Egbert, a manager in the Clean Air Transportation group at PG&E; Eric Smith, the chief engineer for Hybrid Medium Duty Truck, Eaton Corporation; Terry Penney with Advanced Vehicle and Fuel Technologies and the National Renewable Energy Lab; Richard Parish of the Hybrid Truck Users Forum; and Joseph Dalum a vice-president at Dueco.

On Wenesday, the Select Energy and Independence and Global Warming Committee has a hearing on “the Future of Oil.” Scheduled to testify are the administrator of the Energy Information Administration; Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club; Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy studies fellow at the James Baker Institute; and Adam Sieminski, an energy economist at Deutsche Bank.

Also on Wednesday, the Small Business Committee will hold a hearing on “Second Generation Biofuels: A New Frontier for Small Businesses.” No witness list has been published.

The Resources Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday on hydropower. The witness list has not yet been published.

For further information about this topic, please contact Akin Gump.