{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=10581", "Carter leads letter highlighting energy concerns of marijuana cultivation", "2022-09-12", "2022", "2022-09", "Republican", "House", "GA", "Earl L. \"Buddy\" Carter", "C001103", "buddycarter.house.gov", "buddycarter", "https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Rep. Earl L. \u201cBuddy\u201d Carter (R-GA) today led a letter with Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) to Biden administration officials highlighting the threats that nationwide legalization of marijuana will pose to our nations\u2019 energy grid and environmental goals.\n\nThe letter, addressed to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Information Administration Administrator Joseph DeCarolis, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, calls for more research, as there are \u201cserious concerns regarding the energy and resource-intensive nature of marijuana cultivation.\u201d Marijuana cultivation alone accounts for 1% of nationwide energy consumption and uses twice as much water as maize, soybeans, wheat, and wine grapes.\n\nThe Members cite the California Independent System Operator and Midcontinent Independent System Operator, who echo their concerns, warning that \u201cthe potential for capacity shortages and blackouts only rises\u201d if marijuana is legalized nationwide.\n\n\u201cAs Congress debates whether to advance marijuana legalization, the American people must have a better understanding of the environmental costs of this rapidly growing industry. If the Administration seeks to reduce emissions and protect our environment as aggressively as it has previously committed, we must have a comprehensive view of where emissions and other pollution occurs, as they will likely only grow,\u201d state the Members.\n\nRead more in the Washington Examiner.\n\nRead the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T03:08:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://buddycarter.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=10581"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8891001343727112, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}