The US Environmental Protection Agency announced an emissions reporting rule today which will require producers of more than 25,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases a year to submit an annual report to the EPA. While the EPA already tracks big emitters this lowers the threshold and should account for about 85% of US greenhouse gas emissions, writes Mother Jones.

Other emissions-related fights are also burbling this week…

The EPA’s new rule does not place any limits on emission, but Alaskan senator Lisa Murkowski is discussing legislation that might put a 1-year delay on any future EPA emission limits on utilities and factories, Reuters reported. “Congress does need to act on climate change,” Murkowski said, but EPA regulation could “poison” a legislative solution.

In another emissions-related conflict, California power giant Pacific Gas and Electric is pulling out of the US Chamber of Commerce because the chamber has asked the EPA for a public trial of the evidence for man-made climate change. The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times“>writes:

The goal of the chamber, which represents 3 million large and small businesses, is to fend off potential emissions regulations by undercutting the scientific consensus over climate change.

A PG&E blog quoted from a letter from PG&E’s CEO Peter Darbee to the chamber:

We find it dismaying that the Chamber neglects the indisputable fact that a decisive majority of experts have said the data on global warming are compelling and point to a threat that cannot be ignored. In our opinion, an intellectually honest argument over the best policy response to the challenges of climate change is one thing; disingenuous attempts to diminish or distort the reality of these challenges are quite another.