Domenici Says That Congress Might Do Something On Climate In 2007. Maybe.

[hatrack]

Super, Pete! That's just great news. Thanks!! :eyes:

EDIT

Lawmakers also are divided. Committee chairman Pete Domenici has warned it would be "impossible" to pass legislation to cut heat-trapping gas emissions in 2006 because of election-year gridlock. But he said an all-day panel conference on climate change options was a "starting point" for possible legislation in 2007.

"Designing and implementing a mandatory system (will) be very difficult both politically and economically," Domenici said at the outset of the conference. "We can start somewhere and this conference is our starting point." Most lawmakers predict Congress ultimately will pass a law with an emissions trading scheme called a "cap-and-trade" system. Companies that reduce emissions could sell credits to companies that have a harder time reducing pollution. Environmentalists have warned that any "cap and trade" credits should not be sold too cheaply.

The United States is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, one of several greenhouse gases blamed for melting glaciers and rising sea levels. Efforts to put mandatory caps on U.S. carbon emissions have repeatedly failed in the Senate.

Some of the biggest U.S. utilities -- including Chicago-based Exelon Corp. and Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy Corp. -- told lawmakers Congress needs to clarify its plans on about carbon dioxide cuts before they can build a new generation of low-emission power plants to meet growing U.S. electricity demand. "It is critical that we start now," said Elizabeth Moler, an executive vice president at Exelon, pointing out that Congress held the first hearings on global warming in 1978. "We need the economic and regulatory certainty to invest in a low-carbon energy future," Moler said. But Atlanta-based Southern Co., which operates a large fleet of coal-fired power plants, said mandatory caps are not needed because U.S. industry is moving forward with high-tech ways to cut emissions on its own.

EDIT

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-04-04T173902Z_01_N04403907_RTRUKOC_0_US-ENERGY-CONGRESS-CLIMATE.xml

[bemildred]

1. Let's start by "doing something" about Domenici. nt

[phantom power]

2. Climate started doing something about us, around about 2004.