Obama Outlines Push for Energy, Climate Bill

President Obama, as part of a speech at Carnegie Mellon University, said he would get comprehensive energy and climate legislation passed by the Senate and reiterated his support for expanded offshore oil production, E&E News PM reported. Obama was quoted as saying: "I will continue to make the case for a clean-energy future wherever and whenever I can. I will work with anyone to get this done. And we will get it done."

The Pittsburgh Business Times reported that Obama called on Congress to embrace a clean energy future, which, the president said, "means tapping into our natural gas reserves, and moving ahead with our plan to expand our nation's fleet of nuclear power plants. And it means rolling back billions of dollars in tax breaks to oil companies so we can prioritize investments in clean energy research and development."

Some, such as Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a co-author of the climate bill before the Senate, saw Obama's speech as indicating a new level of commitment. He was quoted as saying: "President Obama is clearly putting his shoulder to the wheel to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. Nothing could be more definitive than his explicit commitment today to find the remaining votes needed to pass this vital legislation."

Others, such as Scott Segal, an industry attorney at Bracewell & Giuliani, said more would be needed. "In order to find the votes to pass climate change legislation, he'll need to spend the equal political capital that was needed to pass health care. That's true given the time and the circumstances."

- Related stories also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.