IT’S WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill's roundup of the latest energy and environment news. Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.
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KEY RACES: While the results of the presidential race remain unclear, several races have been decided that have been rooted in, and have major implications for energy and environment issues
In the Senate: While it’s also not totally clear which party will control the Senate yet, this chamber had several notable environment races. For one, the results for the Republican sponsors of the Great American Outdoors Act, a major conservation bill, were mixed. Sen. Steve Daines
Steven (Steve) David DainesMcConnell about to school Trump on political power for the last time McConnell says he's undecided on whether to vote to convict Trump Member of Senate GOP leadership: Impeaching Trump 'not going to happen' MORE (R-Mont.) managed to fend off a challenge from Montana Gov. Steve Bullock
Steve BullockBiden's identity politics do a disservice to his nominees Senate Democrat: Party's message to rural voters is 'really flawed' Ducey to lead Republican governors MORE (D). Sen. Cory Gardner
Cory GardnerOvernight Defense: Joint Chiefs denounce Capitol attack | Contractors halt donations after siege | 'QAnon Shaman' at Capitol is Navy vet Lobbying world Senate swears-in six new lawmakers as 117th Congress convenes MORE (R-Colo.) didn’t fare quite as well, losing his seat to ex-Gov. John Hickenlooper
John HickenlooperSenate swears-in six new lawmakers as 117th Congress convenes Democrats frustrated, GOP jubilant in Senate fight Chamber-endorsed Dems struggle on election night MORE (D). Also notable was a victory for Sen. Joni Ernst
Joni Kay ErnstMcConnell about to school Trump on political power for the last time Military survivors of child sex abuse deserve more NASA selects the next Artemis moonwalkers while SpaceX flies a Starship MORE (R-Iowa), a vocal advocate for biofuels whose races was considered a “toss-up” by the Cook Political Report.
In the House: Democrats are poised to retain the House, albeit by a smaller margin as they lost several swing-district seats to Republicans .
Wins for the GOP:
- Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson
Collin Clark PetersonOn The Trail: The political losers of 2020 OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump admin to sell oil leases at Arctic wildlife refuge before Biden takes office |Trump administration approves controversial oil testing method in Gulf of Mexico | Rep. Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel Rep. David Scott wins House Agriculture Committee gavel MORE (D-Minn.) lost his seat to Republican Michelle Fischbach. - Democrat Kendra Horn
Kendra Suzanne HornThe US's investment in AI is lagging, we have a chance to double it What should Biden do with NASA and the Artemis Program? Here are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year MORE (Okla.) lost her seat in the oil-heavy district to Republican Stephanie Bice. - South Carolina Rep. Joe Cunningham
Joseph CunninghamWe lost in November — we're proud we didn't take corporate PAC money Chamber of Commerce slams GOP effort to challenge Biden's win Coalition of 7 conservative House Republicans says they won't challenge election results MORE (D), who campaigned on banning offshore drilling, lost to Republican Nancy Mace. - Republican Rep. Michael McCaul
Michael Thomas McCaulImpeachment trial tests Trump's grip on Senate GOP Lawmakers push back on late Trump terror designation for Yemen's Houthis Foreign adversaries skewer US after Capitol riots MORE (Texas) fended off a challenge from Sunrise Movement-backed Mike Siegel. - Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian K. FitzpatrickGrowing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment GOP lawmakers introduce resolution to censure Trump over Capitol riot Kinzinger says he'll vote to impeach Trump MORE (Pa.), who supports a carbon tax and co-chairs the congressional PFAS Task Force, defeated Democratic challenger Christina Finello. - Freshman Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.), who criticized Biden for his comments about transitioning away from the fossil fuel industry, lost to Republican Yvette Herrell.
Wins for the Dems:
- Transportation Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio
Peter Anthony DeFazioSouthwest Airlines says it won't furlough workers after Trump signed relief bill Infrastructure? Not unless the House rethinks its offer Democrats ask GAO to study COVID-19 air travel risks MORE (D-Ore.) held onto his seat, fending off a challenge from Republican Alek Skarlatos. - Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) held onto her seat despite a challenge from Republican Wesley Hunt.
Around the states:
- Republican Jim Wright beat out Democrat Chrysta Castañeda for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas in the state.
More of The Hill’s full coverage of the presidential contest here, the Senate races here and the House here.
UNITED STATES, PARTY OF ONE: The U.S. has officially left the Paris climate accord.
The withdrawal, set in motion by a letter from President Trump
Donald TrumpFacebook temporarily bans ads for weapons accessories following Capitol riots Sasse, in fiery op-ed, says QAnon is destroying GOP Section 230 worked after the insurrection, but not before: How to regulate social media MORE exactly one year ago, caps a long-promised move from the president and leaves the U.S. as the only country in the world to withdraw from the landmark climate agreement.
Trump campaigned on leaving the accord and announced that he was doing so far before the parameters of the agreement allowed.
“The Paris Climate Accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers — who I love — and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories and vastly diminished economic production,” Trump said at a speech in the Rose Garden in June 2017.
The move was celebrated by many in Republican circles, even as Democrats and environmentalists lament the implications the U.S. exit will have for the climate and the American economy.
“The decision to exit the Paris Agreement leaves the United States globally isolated in its defiance of scientific realities, and causes real harm to people, the planet and the economy. However, the nearly 200 other nations of the world will continue moving full steam ahead toward realizing the goals of the agreement,” the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a statement.
“The United States is the second largest emitter of carbon emissions from fossil fuels annually and the largest source of cumulative emissions to date," it continued. "It’s well past time for our nation to pivot away from being part of the problem and toward contributing to a leading share of the solutions.”
Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, however, said the deal “would have disadvantaged the U.S. economy and compromised American competitiveness.”
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden
Joe BidenMissouri woman seen with Pelosi sign charged in connection with Capitol riots Facebook temporarily bans ads for weapons accessories following Capitol riots Sasse, in fiery op-ed, says QAnon is destroying GOP MORE has pledged to rejoin the Paris agreement on Day 1 in office if elected, a move that would leave the U.S. out of the deal for a little more than three months.
“I will bring us back into the Paris Agreement. I will put us back in the business of leading the world on climate change. And I will challenge everyone to up the ante on their climate commitments,” Biden said in a September speech on climate change as wildfires ravaged California.
Biden has already laid out some goals in his own climate plan. The electricity sector would go to net-zero emissions by 2035 — a timeline ahead of many of the efforts already underway in climate-conscious states.
More broadly, he said he is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, a plan that would require mostly transitioning away from fossil fuels while promoting carbon capture technology that could store excess pollution.
Read more about the exit here.
OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY:
Plastic bags banned in N.J. as governor signs new law, NJ.com reports
Columbus voters approve green-energy aggregation plan, The Columbus Dispatch reports
Denver voters approve taxes for homeless, environment, The Denver Post reports
ICYMI: Stories from Wednesday…
Hurricane Eta makes landfall in Nicaragua as Category 4 storm
US officially exits Paris climate accord
Giant iceberg floating toward island in the Atlantic Ocean, could endanger wildlife
