Sen. Reid Introduces Energy Bill Without Climate Provisions

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has introduced energy legislation that included oil spill liability provisions and $5 billion for the Home Star energy-efficiency program but failed to propose any climate change policies, Reuters reported.

Reid acknowledged that "this bill does not address every issue of importance to our nation's energy challenges, and we have to continue to work to find bipartisan agreement on a comprehensive bill to help reduce pollution and deal with the very real threat that global warming poses."

An informal Time magazine poll of Senate staffers found a majority did not expect the Senate to pass the bill before the August recess. Utilities and environmentalists continued work on principles for utility-only GHG emissions limits, with Duke Energy, Exelon and Dominion Resources taking part in a working group for negotiations, ClimateWire reported. Exelon Senior VP David Brown said the group was "focused on getting something done this year" and will continue working for climate change legislation. Brown predicted that after 2010, "the politics probably don't improve" on the issue, and yet "the urgency to get some clarity for the utility industry only increases."

President Obama was quoted as saying of Reid's bill: "I want to emphasize it's only the first step and I intend to keep pushing for broader reform, including climate legislation."

- Related stories appeared in the Dallas Morning News, Associated Press, and Los Angeles Times.