National Association of Regional Councils

Long Summary:

The plenary session, “Federal Debate and National Impact: Energy, Climate Change, Global Warming,” discussed the real issues and negative impacts associated with environmental and economic sustainability of our communities. The panel, moderated by NARC 1st vice chair Tony Reams, president of Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, discussed what actions are taking place and will need to occur at all levels of government – federal, state and local – to ensure that these issues are addressed by strong policies and clear cut reductions in emissions and overall energy consumption.

Carol Werner, executive director of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in Washington, DC- a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to sustainable development, led the panelists with an in-depth presentation on all aspects of current and future energy and climate change federal, regional, state and local legislative efforts. Werner highlighted the growing trend to converge efforts within the energy and transportation sectors, urging federal policies to be complementary between climate change and transportation. Werner also pulled out important sections from the energy bill that was recently signed into law and detailed its short-term and long-term impacts.

Marshall Cohen, senior director of legislative programs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, focused on state and local outreach and coalition activities and how these connect to the national nuclear energy policy. Cohen’s presentation discussed the current and future energy inefficiencies and how nuclear energy can best fill the gap. He also detailed the clean, safe nature of nuclear energy and its possibilities to create jobs and build local and regional economies.

Chelsea Maxwell, legislative assistant for U.S. Senator John Warner (R-VA), discussed  the Lieberman-Warner Climate Change bill (S.2191), which was the first of its kind introduced in the Senate in 2007. Efforts for this bill will extend into 2008 with a great deal of support. Maxwell indicated that the Senator was not interested in including all that was omitted from the 2007 energy bill and that regional planning will have its part in the climate change bill. She expected that the bill will hit the Senate floor in late Spring/early Summer and will take approximately two to three weeks for completion. Maxwell urged NARC members to contact her for more information or to work together to ensure regional interests are properly included in the bill.

Since the passage of the Clean Air Act, regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations have played a critical role in the nation's efforts to ensure clean air. However, there is an air of uncertainty as to how regional councils and local governments will be responsible for any legislative actions taken to either amend the Clean Air Act or in separate legislative initiatives to address energy, climate change and global warming. NARC, along with its partner organizations, is working to find solutions to these issues that will not place a large burden on local governments, but will still address the core concerns.