Senate Energy Bill Mark Up Starting Soon!
Alert: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will mark up nine of 13 sections of its comprehensive energy bill next week, with a markup of the remaining sections to be held the following week.
Next Tuesday through Thursday, the committee will mark up the sometimes contentious electricity and coal sections, as well as non-controversial bipartisan language regarding efficiency, hydrogen, Indian energy, personnel and training, and research and development.
The markup also will include at least a portion of the bill’s nuclear title, but it is unclear what portion will be taken up and whether it will be heavily debated. Republican and Democrat committee staff continue to work on the remaining portion of the nuclear section and provisions related to incentives for clean energy technologies, renewable energy, fuel and vehicles, and oil and gas. The plan is to mark up these sections during the week of May 23.
Several contentious issues still need to be resolved, including federal authority to site and permit liquefied natural gas import facilities, the relicensing of hydroelectric facilities, and energy development in the coastal Outer Continental Shelf.
The committee’s goal has been to finish work on the bill before lawmakers leave for the Memorial Day recess. President Bush has called on Congress to pass a bill for him to sign before the start of the August recess.
Text of the provisions that will be marked up next week will be made available on the committee’s Web site Friday morning, while language to be marked up the week of May 23 will be made available on the Web site May 20.
Source: CongressDaily
Looking back it is interesting to see exactly what difference, if any, this bill actually made. the last government did their very best to not commit to any legislation at all that would mean cutting back on emmisions or working with renewable energy. Hopefully the Obama government will see things in a different light.