Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joseph Lieberman, ID-Conn., said they believed EEI and other utility industry groups were engaged in a constructive effort to have a positive impact on shaping a climate bill, Bloomberg reported. Lieberman, who said the bill should be released on April 22, was quoted as saying: "Nobody's signed on, but I think we've got them engaged."
Graham said the bill will propose initiating GHG emissions limits for plants in 2012 and using distribution utilities to return the proceeds from selling permits to consumers. Ten Senate Democrats from coastal states warned Graham, Lieberman and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., of their opposition if the bill authorizes "unfettered" offshore energy production. Sources said Kerry was repositioning the bill as a "reduction and refund" way to cut GHG emissions.
One source said that in meetings with industry Kerry was showing "a willingness to include any reasonable concept" in developing the bill, Congressional Quarterly reported. Environment and Energy Daily quoted Kerry as saying of the decision to not yet release a bill draft: "You don't want paper before you're locked in with affected parties. It's actually destructive. Counter-productive. We're making enormous progress on all fronts, and we'll have paper out at the right moment."
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.