Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the Senate lacked consensus on cap-and-trade and it was unlikely climate change legislation would be passed this year, the Associated Press reported. Bingaman said energy legislation might move forward because of concern that EPA would peremptorily move to restrict GHG emissions. Bingaman said: "There's no simple, one solution to the problem. There's a whole range of things we need to be doing more."
Wrote the AP: "Bingaman said the concern is that if Congress does not move forward on cap-and-trade legislation, emission reductions will be forced by federal regulators." He was quoted as saying: "That will also drive up utility rates. The question is what will drive up utility rates the least, so that's what we're still trying to determine."
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