Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the climate change bill will need to feature "a strong job-creation component" to win approval from Congress, Crain's Detroit Business reported. Stabenow said "foreign oil dependency" was another key part of the bill, as well as climate concerns. Stabenow urged the setting of lower and upper pricing limits for GHG emissions permits in the bill, with permit sales to support the development of renewables. A Stabenow amendment would allow utilities to use a wider range of offsets to meet emissions standards.
Skiles Boyd, DTE Energy VP of environmental management and resources, said the House-passed bill needed "significant improvements," including more incentives for renewables and more modest emissions reduction goals. DTE Energy sought a target of cutting emissions 14 percent by 2020 rather than 20 percent or 17 percent by 2020. Boyd noted: "At higher levels, there isn't a lot we can do in that time frame. We would have to purchase credits, and that would increase the cost of business."
About Me
- Smart Climate Policy News Update
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is proud to sponsor the Smart Climate Policy blog and Web site - www.SmartClimatePolicy.org.
Organized in 1933, EEI is the association of U.S. shareholder-owned electric companies.
Our members serve 95 percent of the ultimate customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, and represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry. We also have more than 65 International electric companies as Affiliate members, and more than 170 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate members.