OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Obama touts EPA rule abroad

GLOBAL CLIMATE LEADER: Obama told his Group of Seven colleagues all about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to limit carbon emissions from power plants Thursday at the G-7 meeting in Brussels and said the United States is taking the lead globally on fighting climate change.

“I made it clear that the United States will continue to do our part,” Obama said at a press conference in Brussels. “It’s one of the most ambitious steps that any nation has taken to combat climate change.”

{mosads}Obama told G-7 leaders that the new rules will help the U.S. reach its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.

That wasn’t the only energy discussion in Brussels.

The G-7 leaders vowed to try to reach a major agreement on climate change prevention next year. They also said they’d like to integrate the world’s natural gas market and help Ukraine and other central and Eastern European countries with energy security.

Read more here and here.

BLOWOUT PREVENTER MADE IT WORSE: In what’s being called the most comprehensive study yet on the disastrous 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) concluded that the blowout preventer BP used to try to cap the well and prevent an explosion actually exacerbated the oil spill.

The blowout preventer likely engaged, as it should have, after the initial explosion April 20. But the blades on the device probably cut the well pipe that had buckled, causing oil and gas to spew from it.

More importantly, CSB found that the oil industry and regulators still don’t really know how it happened.

ON TAP FRIDAY: The Inter-American Dialogue will hold a discussion about Mexico’s recent energy reform program. Specifically, participants will talk about what the reform means for the future of gas and electricity in Mexico. Nicolas Puga of Bates White Economic Consulting and Horacio Cuevas of the Inter-American Development Bank will speak.

Rest of Friday’s agenda …

Climate change … The American Association for the Advancement of Science will host the second day of its two-day conference on government efforts related to climate change resilience. Helen Kanovski, acting deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will speak at the event. 

Asian energy infrastructure … The Center for Strategic and International Studies will continue the discussion it started Thursday on Asian energy infrastructure. The Friday event will focus on efforts by the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank to promote trade and electricity transfer between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

NEWS BITES:

Fighting polluters … White House climate adviser John Podesta posted a photo of himself on Twitter with his right arm in a sling and what appears to be a cast that covers his hand.

Podesta has been active this week promoting the EPA power plant rule, helping at Monday’s rollout event and meeting Tuesday with Senate Democrats to allay their concerns.

“As you can see, polluters don’t go down easy,” President Clinton’s former chief of staff tweeted Thursday. “But we’re going to keep fighting carbon pollution.”

In reality, Podesta had hand surgery, White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said. “But obviously they failed to excise his sense of humor in the process,” he added.

AROUND THE WEB:

Vox.com offers “7 reasons America will fail on climate change” despite EPA’s carbon pollution rule.

Chinese companies spent $21 billion on coal reserves last year, but with new carbon limits likely coming soon, it may have been a waste, Bloomberg News reports.

European Union regulators are considering scrapping a requirement that oil sands imported from Canada be labeled as more polluting than other crude oil, Reuters reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 

Check out Thursday’s stories …

– Murkowski: EPA rule creates less stable grid
– Markey offers bill to boost Ukrainian energy independence from Russia
– New report blames blowout preventer for Gulf oil spill disaster
– House La. Republicans seek Senate vote on EPA regs
– Obama inconsistent on natural gas, industry says
– Study recommends against selling TVA
– Obama: US taking global lead on climate change
– Court rules BP, Anadarko must pay fines for 2010 Gulf spill
– G-7 leaders seek integrated gas market, climate efforts
– Alaskans sue Interior over road denial

Please send tips and comments to Laura Barron-Lopez, laurab@thehill.com and Timothy Cama, tcama@thehill.com.