Senator: Obama climate rules a ‘game-changer’ for carbon tax proposal

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said President Obama’s upcoming plan to impose new greenhouse gas regulations could create traction for carbon tax proposals that currently lack political support in Congress. “There is no chance right now, but that chance can change dramatically if the president takes strong action,” Whitehouse said in an interview that aired Sunday on Platts Energy Week TV.  The liberal Democrat, in the interview taped last week, said Obama’s plan “could be a political game-changer to open the door to a more comprehensive solution.” Obama will roll out his second-term climate agenda Tuesday, a series of executive actions expected to include regulating emissions from existing power plants, among other provisions.  Whitehouse and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) have floated draft legislation that would impose fees on emissions from industrial pollution sources like power plants and refineries. He applauded Obama’s plan to move ahead with new regulations, calling regulation of carbon emissions from new and existing power plants a vital step...more