October 2nd, 2009
Senate climate bill must lure more support to pass
That’s not my conclusion, BTW, but the main sponsor of the newly proposed Senate bill on energy and climate change, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) admits she does not have the needed votes to pass her bill. But she’s working on it. That could mean weeks or months of dealing, compromising, re-writing. It is now highly unlikely the U.S. will go to the December climate meeting in Copenhagen with a new energy and climate change bill alfready enacted.
Currently Boxer says the bill would put 70% of the money raised into helping customers pay their energy bills. And this version of the bill calls for a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020.
Many pro-environmental groups are harshly critical of the bill already, before more loopholes and givebacks are negotiated in an attempt to get it passed. There is criticism of the bill from efficiency proponents as well. It apparently does little to make America’s energy use more efficient. It does NOT have any version of cap and trade. That’s been been highly controversial though it was contained in the bill passed by the U.S. House in early summer. Also, agriculture is completely exempted from all provisions of this bill. Let the fertilizer flow to the Gulf of Mexico. Dam the manure and full speed ahead.
This bill does have: $10 billion for carbon capture schemes. Incentives for more use of natural gas. It offers to support nuclear power plants, but does not mandate any actual new construction. It would include greenhouse gas emissison in the calculations used ot plan federally funded transit projects in the future.
Senators from coal and corn states are going to be looking for exemptions for their pet industries. In general, the Republican Party will oppose any major legislation on any topic because it cannot afford to give Obama’s Administration a political victory.
Here’s a sponsor’s overview of the bill.
Here’s a summary.
Here’s the whole 800 pages.
A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
Subscribe to GreenTech Pastures via Email alerts or RSS.
