NorthWestern Energy

Climate Change Legislation

1. Welcome to this special section of our Web site dedicated to information about national climate change and energy legislation. The United States Congress currently is working on an extensive piece of legislation intended to address significant concerns about climate change. Our representatives in Congress are working conscientiously on an important and challenging subject, attempting to achieve the right balance of outcomes for the climate, for energy customers, and for our region.

The primary piece of legislation, the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), also called the Waxman-Markey Bill (H.R. 2454), was passed out of the House and is now pending in the Senate. We will share our views and analysis about ACES and other bills but will also post other major analysis, summaries, and other relevant documents. This section of our Web site is not intended to persuade you of a particular perspective, but it is intended to keep interested customers and others informed.

Reliable utility service, reasonably priced energy, and a clean environment need not be in conflict. By working together constructively, and based on good analysis, we can address all three. It is this same spirit of teamwork that will also allow us to continue providing the high degree of reliable energy services and customer care that is NorthWestern Energy.

Informational Resources  

From NorthWestern Energy

• Bob Rowe's Letter to Customers
• Energy Connections Customer Newsletter
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Bob Rowe's Guest Opinion: Environmental and Customer Concerns Both Must Be Addressed in Climate Change Legislation 

From Government Sources

• American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) (1428 Pages/2.3MB ) 
• Status of the Bill
• Congressional Budget Office Study
  - 42-Page Analysis of the House Bill 
  - Estimated Cost to Households of the Cap-and-Trade Provisions 
  - Regional Cost Variations of the Cap-and-Trade Provisions 
  - The Economic Effects of Legislation to Reduce Greenhouse 
    Gas Emissions   
  - Contacting Your Senator
• Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act of 2009 (S. 1933)  
• Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) 
• Letter from Senator Harkin and Others to Senators Reid, Boxer, Baucus, and Kerry Regarding Formula Used for Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Emission Allowances 

From Associations and Other Groups

• Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Summary of the Bill 
• Smart Climate Policy Web Site Sponsored by EEI 
• Natural Resources Defense Council Analysis
• Climate Policy and Industrial Competitiveness: Ten Insights from
  Europe on the European Union Emissions Trading System 
• The Other Side of the Coin: The Economic Benefits of Climate Legislation by New York University School of Law  
• Midwest Electric Utilities Push Senate Climate Bill Co-Authors for More Allocations (New York Times, March 15, 2010)

From Testimony on ACES Before the Senate Committee on Finance

• American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research 
• Dallas Burtraw, Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future 
• U.S. Government Accountability Office: Preliminary Observations on Options for Distributing Emissions Allowances and Revenue under a Cap-and-Trade Program 
• Nathaniel O. Keohane, Ph.D., Director of Economic Policy and Analysis, Environmental Defense Fund 

From Statements on S. 1733 Before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

• National Association of Regulatory Utility  Commissioners (NARUC) Statement   
• American Public Power Association (APPA) Statement   
• Joint Position Statement from APPA, NARUC, National Association of State Utility Customer Advocates (NASUCA), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)   
• Statement of the American Gas Association on S. 1733 Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act 
• Senator Max Baucus' Statement to the Environment and Public Works Committee

From Testimony Before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing on Alternatives to Cap and Trade System 

• Daniel Sarewitz, Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes, Arizona State University and John Alic, Independent Consultant 
• Ray Kopp, Senior Fellow and Director, Climate Policy Program, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC 
• David G. Hawkins, Director of Climate Programs, Natural Resources Defense Council 
• Jonathan M. Banks, Climate Policy Coordinator, Clean Air Task Force 

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