Monday, June 01, 2009

Energy Bill on Track to Pass in Senate

After months of on-again, off-again markups, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee appears on the verge of passing an energy bill that makes good on Democrats’ pledge to tilt the energy balance heavily in favor of renewables. But the regional nature of the energy debate will be on full display when the bill moves to the Senate floor, where the key fights will include a controversial first-time national renewable energy mandate as well as provisions to expand nuclear power, and onshore and offshore drilling of oil and natural gas. Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) before Memorial Day was able to coax enough support from committee Democrats and a lone Republican — Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.) — to push through the inclusion of a renewable energy standard of 15 percent by 2021 that is the centerpiece of the bill. Bingaman, a five-term Senator from an oil- and gas-producing state, has been the top Democrat on the panel since 1999 and knows his way around energy issues...Another unresolved issue that will likely drag out on the floor is the yet-to-be revealed oil and gas title of the bill. A Bingaman spokesman said the centerpiece of the section will be a “robust” inventory of oil, gas and renewable energy resources in the Outer Continental Shelf. But committee Republicans, as well as some Democrats, have made clear that they would like to see expanded production included in the bill as well. The timing of the Senate floor debate remains unclear. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said only that the Senate will wait to move on energy until after the House passes its bill, which could occur this month...RollCall

No comments: