Comprehensive Legislation Would Curb Emissions, Encourage Energy Efficiency
The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold its third and final day of hearings today on comprehensive climate change legislation http://tiny.cc/qXOV1 (pdf).
Passage of “The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act”(referred to as the “Boxer-Kerry” bill after its two sponsors, Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts), would represent a big step forward in reducing emissions from power plants and other stationary sources, and in curbing greenhouse gases. The bill also would increase investments in energy efficiency initiatives.
It remains to be seen what the final version of the Boxer-Kerry bill will look like, but in many respects it builds off H.R. 2454 (pdf), legislation approved by the House in June following several marathon months of negotiations. There is some speculation the Senate version will raise the House bill's 17 percent emissions target for 2020 and in favor of an even more aggressive 20 percent limit.
At least five other Senate committees also are expected to contribute to the climate debate.
The bill would require companies that emit greenhouse gases, widely believed to contribute to global warming, to obtain government-issued permits. The number of permits would be reduced over time, gradually lowering emissions. A provision in both bills would allow companies to trade the permits among themselves.
Both the Senate and the House bills include increased funds for energy efficiency initiatives, commonly accepted as the cheapest and easiest way to improve air quality by reducing pollution, while creating jobs in communities nationwide at the same time.
The bill's authors said they expect to begin a markup of the Senate’s version of the climate legislation in Boxer's Environment and Public Works Committee in the coming weeks. Both Kerry and Boxer have acknowledged that their legislation will likely undergo a number of iterations, and that the bill in its current form is the first step in a long process.
“It is a starting point …to do what we need to do to protect the planet for the next century," Kerry said recently.
This is one to watch. Stay tuned.
