Atlantic Examines How Climate Legislation Failed in Senate

Several critical mistakes helped kill climate change legislation in the Senate, wrote Atlantic blogger Brian Goldsmith. According to Daniel Lashof, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Climate Center, one element was losing control of the message after climate change legislation passed the House: "Democrats were not prepared, and we [in the environmental community] didn't do enough to explain, why this was good policy."

A second reason was a less than forceful response to Climategate. Senate leaders--and President Obama--had other issues on their mind. Environmental Defense's Tony Kreindler was quoted as saying: "It should be self-evident we haven't seen the level of engagement by the president necessary to seal the deal."

Losing the support of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was devastating. Kreindler said that a lack of support outside the Senate played a part: "We were close with the utilities, not with the manufacturers ... these agreements are important not because of special interest politics and the influence of big money but because having everyone at the table helps make policies that are durable and effective."

If an energy package fails to pass before the August recess, said Goldsmith, senators could try to pass a utility-specific CO2 cap in September, they could go for a comprehensive bill in the lame-duck session after the November elections, or they could wait until the next Congress and attempt to get a carbon cap through.

For now, said Goldsmith, the legislation put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has the support of most environmental leaders. He said the legislation would not "take off the table incentives to approve cap-and-trade at a later date--given that none of the pollution credits and industry subsidies in Waxman-Markey carried over to the Reid bill."

Sens. Lieberman, Kerry Inching Toward Utility-Only Climate Bill

Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., and John F. Kerry, D-Mass., said they may turn to utility-only GHG emissions limits in the effort to pass their climate change legislation, ClimateWire reported. Lieberman said the option was "not my first choice, but it's important that we get started in what we're trying to do." Kerry said the strategy might achieve the primary goal of "pricing carbon" by providing a solution to the challenge of obtaining a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority. Democrats expressed some support for the strategy.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., was quoted as saying: "I don't expect that we will get much Republican support for legislation beyond the energy bill." Bloomberg reported that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., emphasized the central role of the White House in helping "us get something done." Kerry said "the president is fully committed. He's fully engaged. He intends to try to move votes himself and he understands the seriousness of this effort."

EEI spokesman Jim Owen was quoted as saying of utility-only legislation: "We have been concentrating on economywide, so this is a game-changer with so many moving parts in the middle of a very fluid legislative situation overall."

- Related stories also appeared in CNN.com, Dow Jones Newswire, Financial Times, and Reuters.

President Obama to Discuss Utility-Only Climate Bill With Senators

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said President Obama will discuss the option of utility-only GHG emissions limits in his climate change legislation meeting with senators on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. Emanuel said "a wide range of ideas will be discussed," and the concept of utility-only limits "will also be welcomed."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was expected to be invited to take part in the talks, along with Sens. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., Joseph I. Lieberman, ID-Conn., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and several others. Emanuel said Obama wanted to talk with "a wide range of people who have ideas" about the shape of the legislation. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said it will "be difficult to do in this climate," but added that "an energy-only bill is a great idea."

Brian Wolff, EEI's senior VP of external affairs, said EEI will discuss the utility-only option with its members, Politico reported. Wolff was quoted as saying: "We have not fully discussed utility-only since we have been working on a more comprehensive climate approach. However, we believe any utility-only energy and climate legislation would have to include major consumer protections to gain 60 votes in the Senate."

- Related story also appeared in the Washington Post via the Associated Press.