Press Releases
Markey Commemorates 5-Year Anniversary of Massachusetts v. EPA
Landmark Case -- Combined with Congressional Action -- Will Reduce U.S. Carbon Emissions WASHINGTON (April 1, 2012) Tomorrow marks the five year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts vs. EPA that gave the agency the authority to regulate heat-trapping emissions. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today said that this case, combined with action by Congress, has enabled the United States to set policies that will reduce emissions, develop better energy technologies, and reduce… Continue Reading
03.30.12
Markey, Wyden to CFTC: Are Commodity Investment Funds Skewing Oil Market?
Markey, Wyden to CFTC: Are Commodity Investment Funds Skewing Oil Market? Democrats Say New Rule Needed to Restrict Oil Index Funds WASHINGTON (March 30, 2012) - Two Democratic lawmakers today asked the government agency tasked with regulating the nation’s commodities markets -- which includes crude oil futures and other derivatives trading -- to investigate whether commodities index funds are artificially inflating the price of oil. The letter, written by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Sen. Ro… Continue Reading
03.30.12
Markey Asks DOI If North Sea Gas Leak Could Happen Here
WASHINGTON (March 30, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asking whether his department has looked into an ongoing gas leak at a North Sea drilling platform and whether sufficient protections are in place to prevent a similar incident in U.S. waters. The letter to Interior comes on the same day that Rep. Markey and Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) released a report by the Government Accountability Office showing that while some improvements have… Continue Reading
03.29.12
Markey, Holt, Owens Introduce Bill to Keep America’s Oil, Fuel in America
Markey, Holt, Owens Introduce Bill to Keep America’s Oil, Fuel in America WASHINGTON (March 29, 2012) - Looking to stem the tide of America’s oil and fuels that are being sent abroad at a time of high gas prices and high domestic production, three House Democrats today introduced legislation that would end the exportation of oil extracted from taxpayer-owned lands, and the exportation of refined fuels like gasoline produced from America’s oil. Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rush Holt (D-N.J.) an… Continue Reading
03.27.12
Markey on Natural Resources Republican Subpoenas: Blank Check for Investigations that are Shooting Blanks
WASHINGTON (March 28, 2012) - Natural Resources Republicans are blithely attempting to issue subpoenas to the Obama administration today for two Republican investigations that are without merit, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass) said today. Rep. Markey, the top Democrat on the panel, issued the following statement, and the Democratic staff on the committee re-released a report on one of these politically-motivated Republican investigations, showing it to be baseless: "The motion before us is a blank che… Continue Reading
03.26.12
Markey: New Obama Carbon Pollution Standard Will Accelerate American Energy Innovation
WASHINGTON (March 27, 2012) - The Obama administration's Environmental Protection Agency today released a carbon pollution standard that would require power plants to reduce heat-trapping emissions that are causing dangerous climate change. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the co-author of the only climate change bill to pass a chamber of the U.S. Congress, today issued the following statement: "America is already moving away from old, dirty ways of burning coal and oil, and this carbon pollution stan… Continue Reading
03.22.12
Markey, 100 Democrats Push to Fully Arm Wall Street Speculation Cops
Call on House Republicans to Fund CFTC to Crack Down on Excessive Oil Speculation WASHINGTON (March 23, 2012) - With experts saying that excessive speculation is adding significant additional costs to the price of gas, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and 100 of his Democratic colleagues in the House today called for the House Appropriations Committee to fully arm the Wall Street cops who can crack down on speculators who may be manipulating the market. Rep. Markey and his colleagues ask House Republic… Continue Reading
03.22.12
Markey Applauds Interior Department’s Issuance of Onshore Wind Guidelines
WASHINGTON (March 23, 2012) - Today, the Interior Department released a set of voluntary guidelines designed to help wind energy project developers avoid and minimize impacts of onshore wind projects on wildlife. The guidelines are largely based on recommendations from a Federal Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from states, tribes, environmental groups, and wind developers. "These guidelines will provide wind developers with a clear roadmap to build projects that maximize m… Continue Reading
03.21.12
Markey Applauds Obama’s Leadership on Consumer Electricity Data
Effort Must Go Further; Markey Will Introduce Legislation to Ensure All Consumers Have Access to Their Electricity Information WASHINGTON (March 22, 2012) - Today, the Obama administration announced an agreement with nine major electricity suppliers that will commit to providing more than 15 million households access to data about their own energy use with a simple click of an online "Green Button."This data has the potential to not only help businesses and consumers understand how they are usi… Continue Reading
03.20.12
Markey Statement at Natural Resources Gas Price Hearing
WASHINGTON (March 21, 2012) - Today at a hearing on gas prices in the Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the committee, delivered the following statement: "It's March and the NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing. Yet, Republicans are trying to create a new special kind of March Madness, where the oil industry and Wall Street speculators are guaranteed a spot in the final four and American consumers are seeded last and given insurmountable odds. "F… Continue Reading
03.20.12
Markey Denounces Reported Exxon/BP/Conoco Scheme to Export American Natural Gas to China
Companies Planning $40b Alaskan Pipeline; Markey Bills Would Prevent Export of American Natural Gas WASHINGTON (March 21, 2012) - In response to reports that oil and natural gas giants BP, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil are planning to build an export pipeline in Alaska to allow for the export of American natural gas to China, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today decried the plans as a threat to American manufacturers, farmers and families. "When we bought Alaska from the Russians for only $7 million… Continue Reading
03.15.12
Markey Praises Regional Approach to Building America’s Renewable Backbone
WASHINGTON (March 16, 2012) - Today, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu sent a memorandum to the administrators of the nation's four regional Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) that lays the foundation to use federally-owned electrical systems to lead in modernizing America's power system. "When it comes to modernizing our nation's electric grid, our nation's Power Marketing Administrations can play an important role in moving our nation towards a cleaner, smarter, and more effic… Continue Reading
03.15.12
Markey, DeLauro, Welch Push for Congressional Support to Deploy SPR
WASHINGTON (March 16, 2012) - The three House Democrats who were first to call for President Obama to develop an "aggressive strategy" to deploy America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve are today continuing their push to use the tactic, starting a push to garner signatures on a letter to be sent to the president in the coming days reiterating the need to push for rapid deployment of the reserves. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), along with Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) cite in… Continue Reading
03.14.12
Markey: Reports of U.S.-British Cooperation on Strategic Oil Reserve Release Heartening for Consumers
Congressman Was First to Call for SPR Release WASHINGTON (March 15, 2012) - According to a new report by Reuters, the U.S. and British governments are in talks to reach an agreement to release oil from American and international strategic oil reserves to battle back against Iranian diplomatic brinkmanship that has increased oil prices worldwide. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who was first to call for the release of America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve and has encouraged international cooperation … Continue Reading
03.14.12
Markey Asks CFTC About Possible Iranian Manipulation of Oil Prices
False Rumor Reported by Iranian State TV Sent Oil Prices Upward WASHINGTON (March 14, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) today sent a letter to the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Gary Gensler, asking about a false rumor of a Saudi Arabian pipeline explosion that was first reported on Iranian state television and caused a $3 spike in the price of a barrel of oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Commodity analysts have questioned whether this was a deliberate attempt by t… Continue Reading
03.11.12
Markey Statement on Obama Administration ‘Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future’ Progress Report
Markey Statement on Obama Administration 'Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future' Progress Report WASHINGTON(March 12, 2012) - Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement upon release of the one-year progress report of the Obama administration's "Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future". "Today's release by the Obama administration of its progress report for securing America's energy… Continue Reading
03.06.12
Markey Applauds Obama’s Long-term Vision to Get America Off Foreign Oil
Markey Applauds Obama's Long-term Vision to Get America Off Foreign Oil Obama Plan Tracks Bi-partisan Legislation Co-authored by Markey WASHINGTON (March 7, 2012) - Today President Obama laid out another piece of an "All of the Above" energy plan to address the pain consumers are currently feeling at the pump. The plan calls for incentives to deploy electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure through a community-centered strategy similar to the bi-partisan vision la… Continue Reading
03.05.12
Markey, Holt Release Report on Baseless Republican Investigation on Mountaintop Removal Rulemaking
WASHINGTON (March 6, 2012) - Republican allegations that the Department of Interior has acted improperly in preparing a new rule to protect streams from mountaintop removal mining are without merit, according to a report released today by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. The report, which was prepared by the Committee's Democratic staff at the request… Continue Reading
03.04.12
Markey Statement on BP’s Settlement with Gulf Families and Businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rep. Ed Markey, 202-225-6065 WASHINGTON (March 3, 2012) - Following the announcement that a settlement was reached between BP and the lawyers for the families and businesses affected by the company's 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Rep. Ed Markey, the leading Congressional investigator into the spill, issued the following statement: "This is a victory for the people of the Gulf, and hopefully indicates BP's willingness to accept financial responsib… Continue Reading
02.29.12
Markey Releases Report on Natural Gas Exports, Sec. Chu Response on LNG Export Terminal Review
WASHINGTON (March 1, 2012) - Concerned that the wholesale export of American-made natural gas could raise prices for consumers and businesses, Rep. Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) today released a report, prepared at his request by the House Natural Resources Committee's Democratic staff, exposing the perils of large-scale natural gas exports for the U.S. economy. Included in the report is new information from the Department of Energy Secretary indicating that the agency will not approve any new e… Continue Reading