    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [April 15, 1999]
    [Pages 561-562]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reporting
    April 15, 1999

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Energy, Administrator of the
    Environmental Protection Agency

    Subject: Report on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions

        My Administration's proposal to promote retail competition in the
    electric power industry, if enacted, will help to deliver economic
    savings, cleaner air, and a significant down payment on greenhouse gas
    emissions reductions. The proposal exemplifies my Administration's
    commitment to pursue both economic growth and environmental progress
    simultaneously.
        As action to advance retail competition proceeds at both the State
    and Federal levels, the Administration and the Congress share an
    interest in tracking environmental indicators in this vital sector. We
    must have accurate and frequently updated data.

    [[Page 562]]

        Under current law, electric power generators report various types of
    data relating to generation and air emissions to the Department of
    Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To ensure
    that this data collection is coordinated and provides for timely
    consideration by both the Administration and the Congress, you are
    directed to take the following actions:
        1. On an annual basis, you shall provide me with a report
    summarizing CO2 emissions data collected during the previous
    year from all utility and nonutility electricity generators providing
    power to the grid, beginning with 1998 data. This information shall be
    provided to me no more than 6 months after the end of the previous year,
    and for 1998, within 6 months of the date of this directive.
        2. The report, which may be submitted jointly, shall present
    CO2 emissions information on both a national and regional
    basis, stratified by the type of fuel used for electricity generation,
    and shall indicate the percentage of electricity generated by each type
    of fuel or energy resource. The CO2 emissions shall be
    reported both on the basis of total mass (tons) and output rate (e.g.,
    pounds per megawatt-hour).
        3. The report shall present the amount of CO2 reduction
    and other available information from voluntary carbon-reducing and
    carbon-sequestration projects undertaken, both domestically and
    internationally, by the electric utility sector.
        4. The report shall identify the main factors contributing to any
    change in CO2 emissions or CO2 emission rates
    relative to the previous year on a national, and if relevant, regional
    basis. In addition, the report shall identify deviations from the actual
    CO2 emissions, generation, and fuel mix of their most recent
    projections developed by the Department of Energy and the Energy
    Information Administration, pursuant to their existing authorities and
    missions.
        5. In the event that Federal restructuring legislation has not been
    enacted prior to your submission of the report, the report shall also
    include any necessary updates to estimates of the environmental effects
    of my Administration's restructuring legislation.
        6. Neither the DOE nor the EPA may collect new information from
    electricity generators or other parties in order to prepare the report.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this memorandum.