AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION for AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION
What was lobbied
11 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Utilities UTI
Monitored information sharing legislation such as the S. 754, Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, H.R. 1560, the Protecting Cyber Networks Act, and H.R. 1731, the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015. Discussed the need for enhanced liability protection for electric utilities that are subject to a cybersecurity attack. Opposed to H.R. 1073, the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, S. 1241, the Enhanced Grid Security Act of 2015, and S.1846, a bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to secure critical infrastructure against electromagnetic threats, and for other purposes. Continued support of revised energy efficiency legislation - S. 535, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, S. 720, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2015, H.R. 906, a bill to modify the efficiency standards for grid-enabled water heaters, and H.R. 873, a bill to promote energy efficiency, and for other purposes. Discussed potential comprehensive energy legislation with House and Senate staff. Supported efforts to delete Section 433 of EISA 2007 of S. 869. which mandates that all federal buildings use no fossil fuel by 2030. Advocated for specific positions to be included in H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, that included provisions on capacity markets, cybersecurity, distributed generation, energy efficiency, hydropower licensing reform, pipeline permitting, reliability, self-supply, wholesale energy markets, and workforce development. Also, advocated for positions to be included in the drafting process of S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015. APPA supports underlying emergency authority sections in both bills, but think cost-recovery is duplicative and unnecessary. APPA believes states need preemption from sunshine law application to targeted critical infrastructure information. APPA supports FERC review of reliability implications of major rules. APPA supports streamlining of hydropower licensing reform processes. APPA opposes codification of PJM performance capacity rules. APPA supports provisions to ensure public powers ability to self-supply its own customers. APPA supports pipeline permitting reform and workforce development provisions. Continued working to ensure that small utilities that are defined as small businesses under the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act get appropriate consideration under any pending and future EPA and FERC regulations. Worked to ensure that S. 1536, the Senate companion bill to H.R. 527, which modified the Regulatory Flexibility Act, included language to fix Small Business Administration size standard issue. Expressed support for H.R. 2358, the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act that was approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources. Expressed concerns about or opposition to markets issues related to regional transmission organizations, including proposed energy imbalance market and existing mandatory capacity markets. Encouraged oversight of FERC more generally. While not a federal issue, discussed issues surrounding distributed generation (namely, rooftop solar) with DOE staff and with some offices on Capitol Hill. Discussed the issue of the availability of spare transformers with DOE and others. Expressed support for S. 485, the APPROVAL ACT, Assuring Private Property Rights Over Vast Access to Land Act. Advocated for SEPA rate proposal regarding cost allocation at the Center Hill and Wolf Creek dams. Provisions related to cost allocation of federally-owned dams. Monitored Southeastern Federal Power Administration Rate making procedures.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOY DITTO | — |
| JOHN GODFREY | — |
| AMY THOMAS | — |
| CORY TOTH | — |
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Environment/Superfund ENV
Monitored issues related to the Endangered Species Act -- support efforts to review the law and improve it.
Railroads RRR
Support removal of the antitrust exemptions for the railroads, and support reforms at the Surface Transportation Board in order to ensure that rail customers are not the subject of monopoly shipping rates. Advocated for passage of S. 808 Surface Transportation Board Re-authorization Act of 2015, which passed the Senate without amendment. Monitored S. 853, the Rail Shipper Fairness Act of 2015.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| AMY THOMAS | — |
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN
Advocated for passage of H.R. 2041/S.1111, the Public Power Risk Management Act - modifying final rule on swap dealers under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act regarding special entities and the $25 million ceiling on their hedging transactions. Supported more limited role in Dodd-Frank for non-profit energy end-users. Supported funding for CFTC. Supported H.R 2289, the Commodity End-User Relief Act that addresses the treatment of swaps with utility special entities.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOHN GODFREY | — |
Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX
Supported the continued use of tax-exempt financing for municipal/public power purposes, and opposed provisions and legislation to tax municipal bonds. Monitored impacts of sequestration on Build America Bonds (BABs).
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOY DITTO | — |
| JOHN GODFREY | — |
| AMY THOMAS | — |
| CORY TOTH | — |
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Telecommunications TEC
Monitored pole attachment rate issue. Supported municipal broadband deployment, and educated House and Senate staff these issues.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOY DITTO | — |
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Copyright/Patent/Trademark CPT
Monitored efforts in Congress to address abuse of the patent system by patent assertion entities (PAEs), commonly known as patent trolls. Worked to ensure legislation is introduced to address patent assertion entities. Supported S. 1137, the PATENT Act that targets abusive patent ligation practices and supported H. R. 9, the Innovation Act.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Budget/Appropriations BUD
Opposed any efforts to change the purpose of the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) from marketing clean federal hydropower to promoting non-hydro renewables -- monitored Department of Energy activities on the PMAs. Relayed APPA concerns to Department of Energy regarding dam safety cost allocation and asked to look into signing letter on F.R Docket 2015-12888. Opposed to modifying or eliminating tax-exempt financing in any budget proposal, including FY 2016 Administration proposal to cap deductions at 28 percent for higher income earners. Monitored Nuclear Regulatory Commission appropriations allocations for the Department of Energy, the federal Power Marketing Administrations, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOY DITTO | — |
| JOHN GODFREY | — |
| AMY THOMAS | — |
Aviation/Airlines/Airports AVI
Monitor issues related to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), including use of UAV for utility related operations (Docket FAA-2015-0150). Monitoring Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization legislation for related developments.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOHN GODFREY | — |
Energy/Nuclear ENG
Supported bills to ensure regulatory relief for small hydro facilities. Supported legislation in the House and Senate energy bill development to streamline hydro and relicensing for all sites of hydro facilities. Supported a hydro amendment in H.R.8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, to introduce provisions for hydro relicensing reform to the bill. Monitored agency implementation of hydro bills that passed in the 113th Congress (H.R. 678, H.R. 267) Monitored Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and nuclear waste issues (S. 854: Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2015). Monitored issues involving the export of natural gas (liquefied natural gas or LNG).
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOY DITTO | — |
| AMY THOMAS | — |
| CORY TOTH | — |
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW
Supported legislation (H.R. 1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015) re: EPA regulation of coal ash as a non-hazardous waste, which passed out of the House on July 22. Expressed strong concerns on EPA's proposed Clean Power Plan and the impact on public power. Relayed our concerns on docket EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602. Also, discussed our concerns regarding ozone NAAQS rules. Opposed to EPA's proposed Waters of the U.S. rule under the Clean Water Act. Supported S. 1140, the Federal Water Quality Protection Act, which passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Expressed support for H.R. 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act, and companion legislation S. 1324, the Affordable Reliable Electricity Now Act of 2015. Monitored H.R. 2576, the House of Representatives update to the Toxic Substance Control Act and advocated for passage in the House and Senate.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOY DITTO | — |
| AMY THOMAS | — |
| CORY TOTH | — |
| DESMARIE M WATERHOUSE | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.