Senate chairman doubts passage of carbon limit

The Senate is unlikely to pass any limit on carbon-dioxide emissions this year, says Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), right, who as chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has been working on a cap-and-trade bill that would apply only to power plants. (New Mexico Independent photo)

Bingaman told Environment & Energy News that he is "somewhat dubious" that his bill could get the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. He also said he doubts that congressional leaders would use a House-Senate conference committee, even after the Nov. 2 election, "to ratchet up the climate regulations past what the Senate agreed to and beyond what Democratic House centrists want," Robin Bravender, Noelle Straub and Josh Voorhees of E&E write for Greenwire.

"Bingaman's comments contradict those made previously by key members of the Democratic caucus, which suggest they plan to anchor their climate and energy efforts to the spill response legislation and then dare Republicans to vote against it," the reporters write. (Read more, subscription required)