Congressman Scott Peters

Representing the 52nd District of California

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Energy & Environment

 

As a former environmental lawyer and member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I am dedicated to combating climate change and fostering renewable energy.  Unfortunately, San Diego is facing some of the consequences of climate change- from droughts, to wildfires, and floods from rising sea levels.  Therefore, we must not only work to curb climate change, but prepare for the effects it has on our region and nation as well. San Diego is home to many innovative green energy and clean tech companies that are imperative to our environment and economy. I will work in Congress to make sure these companies, as well as the premier research institutions in our region, get the support they need. We owe it to the next generation to ensure they, too, get a chance to enjoy our great outdoors.

 

Latest News

I introduced the Algae Agriculture Act to support the development of algae in agriculture. 

I was honored to be a featured speaker at the Vatican Climate Conference convened by Pope Francis. Read my full remarks delivered at the global climate symposium. 

Scott's Plan to Curb Climate Change

 

Promote Energy Security as National Security: Enable the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce energy use to complete missions safely and efficiently; boost combat effectiveness through fuel supply diversity and speed up the development of advanced technologies to improve military energy efficiency; support San Diego’s solar and emerging algae-based biofuel industries that partner with the Navy to diversify our energy supply.

Legislation Introduced

  • H.R. 3108, the Department of Defense Energy Security Act (DODESA)
  • Scott offered three amendments to H.R. 1735 National Defense Authorization Act for FY16 on DOD readiness and energy efficiency that were adopted into NDAA:
    • Advancing military installation readiness to prepare for climate change that could pose risks to national security, including expected increased water shortages and instances of wildfire with increased drought, in addition to flooding due to sea level rise and coastal erosion from storm surges.
    • Promoting military energy efficiency for the KC-X tanker aircraft that has been used for fuel transport and firefighting efforts.
    • Expanding military fuel supply diversity by requiring the DOD to brief the Armed Services Committee on innovative technologies to efficiently improve the range and endurance of tactical vehicles.
  • H.R. 1806 COMPETES amendments
    • Scott offered an amendment with Rep. Bonamici to the COMPETES Reauthorization, that would allow the Departments of Energy and Defense to continue to develop biofuels to diversify our energy source and reduce our dependence on oil.
  • An amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, that allows federal agencies to enter into ESPCs (Energy Saving Performance Contracts) for the deployment of alternative vehicle fleets and infrastructure, and allows the federal government to participate in any existing or future utility incentive programs that support the use of alternative fueled vehicles, charging stations, or fueling stations that will lower the total cost of adopting more efficient alternative vehicles.

 

Reduce Federal Emissions and Super Pollutants: Coordinate a response to potent short-lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); reduce the government’s HFC emissions; promote carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption; incentivize methane capture power generation like that utilized by the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant; reduce methane emissions from natural gas; support market-based solutions to account for the real cost of greenhouse gas emissions.

Legislation Introduced

  • H.R. 508, the Super Pollutant Emissions Reduction (SUPER) Act.
  • An amendment, H.AMDT.594 to H.R. 2822, the FY16 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill that would allow the EPA to continue to regulate HFCs through SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) to take action to improve public health and fight the root causes of climate change.
  • An amendment to H.R. 8, North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, that requires the Secretary of Energy to report on energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction from conversion of captured methane to energy.

Legislation Cosponsored

  • H.R. 1971 the Climate Solutions Act of 2015
  • H.R. 1548, BREATHE Act

 

Increase Preparedness and Resilience: San Diego continues to experience drought, wildfires, and flooding due to sea level rise. These phenomena are expected to increase and we must provide communities with the tools they need to prepare for, and more quickly recover from, extreme weather events; improve transparency on how much and where federal money is spent on disaster response; follow the lead of industry and the Pentagon by using the social cost of carbon (SCC) in federal rule making to account for the economic and health costs of carbon.

Legislation Introduced

  • H.R. 2227, the STRONG Act, bipartisan legislation to prepare communities for the effect of extreme weather
  • H.R. 385, the DISASTER Act, legislation to improve transparency on disaster response spending
  • Social Cost of Carbon Amendments:
    • H.AMDT.704 to H.R. 348, the RAPID Act, sought to strike section K that prohibits agencies from using the social cost of carbon in an environmental review or environmental decision making process.
    •  H.AMDT.571 to H.R. 2822 the FY16 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill with Reps. Polis and Lowenthal that would have hindered the social cost of carbon to be incorporated into any rulemaking or guidance document

Legislation Cosponsored

  • H.R. 3190 PREPARE (Preparedness and Risk Management for Extreme Weather Patterns Assuring Resilience and Effectiveness) Act
  • H.R. 1276 the Coastal State Climate Change Planning Act
  • H.R. 2553 Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2015
  • H.R. 2744 Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act Amendments of 2015
  • H.R. 1967 Ocean Acidification Innovation Act

 

Better Fund Drought and Wildfire Prevention and Response: Seek federal support for adoption of San Diego’s innovative water recycling and reuse projects; raise awareness about the increased risk of wildfire due to drought, worsened by climate change, and the need to fund prevention to save lives, taxpayer dollars, and reduce carbon emissions; allow states to apply for hazard mitigation assistance to fight wildfires; ensure firefighters are able to safely utilize new technologies that can help fight wildfires; preserve and maintain the nation’s land and natural resources.

Legislation Introduced

  • Scott offered the Motion to Recommit to Rep. Valadao’s water bill to ensure that any changes to water policy leave enough water in reservoirs, lakes, and community supplies to fight wildfires when they occur.
  • Led discharge petition on wildfire funding (Petition #10 in 113th Congress, signed by 196 members)

Legislation Cosponsored

  • H.R. 167 the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act
  • H.R. 1009 the Wildfire Prevention Act
  • H.R. 2909 Protecting Firefighters and Promoting Innovation Act
  • H.R. 3025 Wildfire Airspace Protect Act of 2015
  • H.R. 2983 Drought Recovery and Resilience Act of 2015
  • H.R. 291 Water in the 21st Century Act
  • H.R. 1775 the Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2015  
  • H.R. 2689 Clarifies the scope of eligible water resources projects under the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 to support the North San Diego Recycled Water Project
  • H.R. 1278 the Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act
  • H.R. 3720 Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act
  • H.R. 3927 West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2015
  • H.R. 239 Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act
  • H.R. 1814 to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund
  • H. Res 142 H.Res.142 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that in order to better understand water availability, sustainability, and security at a national scale, the United States should prioritize the assessment of the quality and quantity of surface water and groundwater resources, and produce a national water census with the same sense of urgency that was incorporated in the "Man on the Moon" project to address the inevitable challenges of "Peak Water".
  • H.R. 979 to designate a mountain in the John Muir Wilderness  of the Sierra National Forest as “Sky Point”
  • H.R. 908 California Coastal National Monument Santa Cruz Redwoods Expansion Act
  • H.R. 781 Complete America’s Great Trails Act
  • H.R. 813 FORECAST Act

 

Invest to Develop and Deploy Clean Energy Technologies: Bolster San Diego’s green-energy and clean tech economies by investing in carbon capture, utilization, and storage  and advanced biofuels innovation; advocate smart policy to increase adoption of solar energy and speed up electric grid modernization to ensure reliability; promote the development of affordable battery and energy storage technology for federal, commercial and residential use; support advanced nuclear research and development to promote new sources of safe, reliable, zero-carbon electricity.

Legislation Introduced

  • H.R. 3392, Carbon Capture Research and Development Act, bipartisan legislation to speed the development and deployment of new technologies that can convert captured CO2 to fuels, chemicals, and other products
  • An amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, that includes energy storage as a form of energy that DOE should consider to enhance emergency preparedness for energy supply disruptions during natural disasters

Legislation Cosponsored

  • H.R. 2412, New Energy for America Act to extend the ITC and PTC
  • H.R. 2132 Nonprofit Energy Assistance Act
  • H.R. 2296 Job Creation through Energy Efficient Manufacturing Act
  • H.R. 2763 Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation Act

 

Advance Energy Efficiency at Federal Facilities: Increase energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in federal buildings; promote energy savings through public-private partnerships; improve energy sustainability programs in the military

Legislation Introduced

  • H.R. 3577, Unnecessary Government Printing Reform Act of 2015
  • H.Res 389, Honest Dynamic Scoring Resolution, with Reps. Delaney and Hanna to ensure that the economic benefits of federal  investment in clean energy technology is accurately reflected in budget projections
  • An amendment to H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, that allows federal agencies to enter into ESPCs for the deployment of alternative vehicle fleets and infrastructure, and allows the federal government to participate in any existing or future utility incentive programs that support the use of alternative fueled vehicles, charging stations, or fueling stations that will lower the total cost of adopting more efficient alternative vehicles.

Legislation Cosponsored

  • H.R. 1629 Energy Savings Through Public-Private Partnerships Act of 2015
  • H.R. 1268 Energy Efficient Government Technology Act

 


More on Energy & Environment

Dec 13, 2018 Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) applauded the Farm Bill, which passed the House yesterday and invests in San Diego clean energy priorities including algae innovation and carbon capture technology.

Dec 12, 2018 Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) reflected on the third anniversary of participants reaching the Paris Climate Agreement:

“Three years ago, the United States joined an ambitious global vision to combat the worst effects of climate change. Unfortunately, President Trump ceded America’s global leadership by withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement last year, abandoning our allies and ceding future jobs, opportunities, and innovation in renewable energy to other nations—especially China.

Oct 23, 2018 Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) announced that portions of a clean energy incentive bill he introduced are now law as part of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which approves and funds water infrastructure projects. WRDA included language from Peters’ Hydropower Permit Extension (HYPE) Act, which encourages greater investment in clean energy by giving already-approved hydropower projects a four-year extension if there are delays on breaking ground.

Sep 17, 2018 Press Release

Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) voted to fund critical programs as part of the Fiscal Year 2019 Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Appropriations spending bill. The bill includes an amendment introduced by Rep. Peters to prohibit funding for homeless veterans services from being redirected or used for any other purpose. The bill now heads to the President’s desk for a signature.

Sep 17, 2018 Press Release

Last week, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) called attention to the ongoing government efforts to prevent and fight wildfires during a meeting of the Energy and Commerce Environment subcommittee on the effect of wildfires on air quality. Rep. Peters also asked the witnesses about the use of long-term plans for wildfire management, and what can be done to mitigate these deadly events.

Sep 12, 2018 Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) reacted to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to roll back a methane capture rule issued under the Obama Administration for the oil and gas industry:

Sep 8, 2018 In The News

Californians are experiencing the impacts from climate change right now. Wildfires rage across the state in the worst season in history, costing lives and destroying communities.

We all have a right to a safe and healthy community, and Californians count on the Environmental Protection Agency to protect us from dangerous air and water pollution that makes our kids sick. Sadly, the Trump administration has taken steps to dismantle two clean air policies: the Clean Power Plan and the Clean Car Standards.

Sep 4, 2018 Press Release

Last week, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) returned from travel with a congressional delegation to Guyana, Suriname, Honduras, and Brazil. He reflected on the trip’s main focuses, centering on climate change, immigration, and national defense. Rep. Peters joined Reps. Bob Goodlatte (VA), Steve Cohen (TN), John Rutherford (FL), Mark Sanford (SC), John Curtis (UT), Todd Rokita (IN), Richard Hudson (VA), and Darrell Issa (CA).

Aug 21, 2018 Press Release

Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) released the following statement after President Trump announced his administration is replacing the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan:

“Once again, the president has tossed aside a carefully crafted plan to keep our air clean and protect the environment and the public from the effects of climate change. It is another step backward for energy innovation, public health, and our decades of progress combatting climate change.

Aug 21, 2018 In The News

Rep. Scott Peters said Tuesday the Trump administration’s decision to ease up on environmental regulations on coal-fired power plants is a “another step backward.”

The change replaces the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan and makes it easier for utilities to keep coal-fired power plants running.