Duke Energy adds Podesta Group to lobbying ranks
(09/18/2009)
Anne C. Mulkern, E&E reporter
Duke Energy Corp. has beefed up its lobbying ranks as it pushes for passage of a climate and energy bill, bringing on the Podesta Group to work alongside several other lobbying firms.
"We're focused on the climate legislation like a laser," Duke spokesman Tom Williams said. "This is designed to facilitate that."
The move by Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke comes as the company takes other actions to underscore its support for climate legislation. Duke this summer ended its membership in the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) and the National Association of Manufacturers. Duke said it needed to leave the trade groups because other members were opposed to passing global warming legislation.
Duke is an original member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which unites industry and environmental groups in support of congressional action on climate and energy.
Duke CEO Jim Rogers on Wednesday told reporters that he no longer thinks a climate bill will be passed this year. He also said coal might not be used at all by 2050 and questioned whether the technology to capture carbon and sequester it would advance.
"Climate's a big focus, and we would hope they would help us pass legislation as quickly as possible," Williams said.
Jerry Taylor, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, said he is skeptical whether one corporation or lobbying group can have much influence on whether the climate bill moves forward. The fact that there is no bill yet indicates that there is trouble gathering support, he said. In addition to that, the health care issue is "taking all of the oxygen" a climate bill needs.
"It's an extremely difficult sell to get the Senate to vote for something like a cap-and-trade program," Taylor said. "If the health care bill goes down, I think that absolutely buries the cap-and-trade bill."
A climate bill would give Duke business certainty, said Kenneth Green, resident scholar with the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
"In Waxman-Markey, coal gets a guaranteed future," Green said, referring to the House bill crafted by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
Duke already employs the Alpine Group, Bracewell & Giuliani and a few smaller firms to lobby and advise on energy and environment issues.
The energy company in the first half of this year spent $2.8 million on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. For all of last year, it paid $5 million to lobbying firms.
The Podesta Group is run by Tony Podesta, described by many news organizations as one of the town's more powerful lobbyists. He started it along with brother John Podesta, a White House chief of staff to President Clinton, co-chairman of the Obama transition team, and the founder and president of Center for American Progress, which has ties to the Obama administration.
The firm took in $11.8 million in the first half of this year, ranking fourth in that time period for total income among all firms that lobby Congress, according to Center for Responsive Politics.
Other Podesta Group energy clients include BP America Inc., Sunoco Inc. and SolarReserve, a Los Angeles-based solar thermal company.
Center for Responsive Politics records show Podesta Group this year also worked for the ACCCE, the trade group Duke left because of clashes over climate legislation. ACCCE, according to lobbying records, paid Podesta $50,000 earlier this year. It is not listed as a current client on Podesta Group's Web site, but ACCCE spokeswoman Lisa Camooso Miller said Podesta does ACCCE's federal lobbying.
"They have lots of clients that have lots of interests," Miller said. She said ACCCE does want a climate bill, but wants one that emphasizes carbon capture research and limits on what businesses would have to pay for carbon emissions permits.
Podesta Group lobbyists declined to comment.
Lobbyists at Podesta Group who will work for Duke are Elizabeth Inadomi, who worked as staff counsel to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and counsel to the House Science Committee, Ed Rothschild and Claudia James.
Duke Energy owns and operates 36,000 megawatts of power and delivers electricity to 4 million customers in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio. It primarily burns coal, oil and natural gas, though half of its generation in the Carolinas comes from nuclear power.
Anne C. Mulkern, E&E reporter
Duke Energy Corp. has beefed up its lobbying ranks as it pushes for passage of a climate and energy bill, bringing on the Podesta Group to work alongside several other lobbying firms.
"We're focused on the climate legislation like a laser," Duke spokesman Tom Williams said. "This is designed to facilitate that."
The move by Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke comes as the company takes other actions to underscore its support for climate legislation. Duke this summer ended its membership in the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) and the National Association of Manufacturers. Duke said it needed to leave the trade groups because other members were opposed to passing global warming legislation.
Duke is an original member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which unites industry and environmental groups in support of congressional action on climate and energy.
Duke CEO Jim Rogers on Wednesday told reporters that he no longer thinks a climate bill will be passed this year. He also said coal might not be used at all by 2050 and questioned whether the technology to capture carbon and sequester it would advance.
"Climate's a big focus, and we would hope they would help us pass legislation as quickly as possible," Williams said.
Jerry Taylor, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, said he is skeptical whether one corporation or lobbying group can have much influence on whether the climate bill moves forward. The fact that there is no bill yet indicates that there is trouble gathering support, he said. In addition to that, the health care issue is "taking all of the oxygen" a climate bill needs.
"It's an extremely difficult sell to get the Senate to vote for something like a cap-and-trade program," Taylor said. "If the health care bill goes down, I think that absolutely buries the cap-and-trade bill."
A climate bill would give Duke business certainty, said Kenneth Green, resident scholar with the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
"In Waxman-Markey, coal gets a guaranteed future," Green said, referring to the House bill crafted by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.).
Duke already employs the Alpine Group, Bracewell & Giuliani and a few smaller firms to lobby and advise on energy and environment issues.
The energy company in the first half of this year spent $2.8 million on lobbying, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. For all of last year, it paid $5 million to lobbying firms.
The Podesta Group is run by Tony Podesta, described by many news organizations as one of the town's more powerful lobbyists. He started it along with brother John Podesta, a White House chief of staff to President Clinton, co-chairman of the Obama transition team, and the founder and president of Center for American Progress, which has ties to the Obama administration.
The firm took in $11.8 million in the first half of this year, ranking fourth in that time period for total income among all firms that lobby Congress, according to Center for Responsive Politics.
Other Podesta Group energy clients include BP America Inc., Sunoco Inc. and SolarReserve, a Los Angeles-based solar thermal company.
Center for Responsive Politics records show Podesta Group this year also worked for the ACCCE, the trade group Duke left because of clashes over climate legislation. ACCCE, according to lobbying records, paid Podesta $50,000 earlier this year. It is not listed as a current client on Podesta Group's Web site, but ACCCE spokeswoman Lisa Camooso Miller said Podesta does ACCCE's federal lobbying.
"They have lots of clients that have lots of interests," Miller said. She said ACCCE does want a climate bill, but wants one that emphasizes carbon capture research and limits on what businesses would have to pay for carbon emissions permits.
Podesta Group lobbyists declined to comment.
Lobbyists at Podesta Group who will work for Duke are Elizabeth Inadomi, who worked as staff counsel to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and counsel to the House Science Committee, Ed Rothschild and Claudia James.
Duke Energy owns and operates 36,000 megawatts of power and delivers electricity to 4 million customers in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio. It primarily burns coal, oil and natural gas, though half of its generation in the Carolinas comes from nuclear power.