Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Senate Shelves Energy Bill Until After August Recess

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced this afternoon that the Senate will not be voting on energy/oil spill legislation (Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Company Accountability Act of 2010)’ prior to leaving for recess.

The House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act of 2010 [CLEAR Act (H.R. 3534) --its Gulf Spill/Energy bill response] [Latest Version] on July 30 by a vote of 209 to 193 with one voting present.

Scott Segal, an energy lawyer at Bracewell Giuliani and Executive Director of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, offered the following remarks on the energy legislation:

"It now appears that energy legislation will not be on the agenda until the Congress returns in September, or even later. Even if common ground remains illusive on broader topics like climate change or renewable standards, Congress must not miss the opportunity to address the coming regulatory train wreck in Clean Air Act regulation that affect manufacturing, refining, and electric power production - all critical to the nation's economic recovery. Issues like how EPA will address regulation of greenhouse gases, new air transport rules, more stringent standards for smog, soot, and mercury, and even the regulation of ash and waste water, are all coming together in the next several years. The combined impact will be devastating if Congress doesn't establish rational energy and environmental policy, and soon."
(Frank Maisano)

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