Amendments to S 2012 – 02-03-16

Yesterday there were 45 amendments proposed for S 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015. Of those, one may be of specific interest to readers of this blog:

SA 3236. Mr. WYDEN (D,OR), pg S595;

Energy Train Data Collection

The Wyden amendment would require the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to collect and make publicly available on the Internet information about the amounts, origination and destination of energy products transported by rail. Those energy products would include {new §3105}:

• Petroleum crude oil;

• Ethanol;

• Liquefied natural gas; and

• Other energy products selected by the Administrator

The level of data required to be collected and publicly posted by this amendment would not be sufficient to allow specific route determinations or shipment timings.

Moving Forward

While the sponsor and cosponsors of this amendment are all Democrats, the proposal is not inherently partisan and Wyden is a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. There is a good chance that this amendment could make it to the floor of the Senate for consideration, probably under unanimous consent procedures.

The Senate will vote this morning on a cloture motion on the substitute language that has been under consideration. While there have not yet been any strongly partisan measures added to this language that would specifically draw enough opposition to stop debate, there is a strong move by Sen. Stabenow (D,MI) to hold up consideration of this bill unless language is added (and she has multiple proposed amendments as possible options) to provide funding to assist the city of Flint, MI in dealing with their self-inflicted lead-contaminated drinking water problem.