Bingaman ‘dubious’ about prospects for utility-focused climate plans

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said he doubts the Senate would approve scaled-back climate change legislation that applies emissions limits to electric power plants only.

Bingaman’s office has been in talks with Sen. Olympia Snowe’s (R-Maine) staff about a utility-focused climate plan — an approach that could have more political legs than more sweeping plans that have stalled in the Senate.

But in an interview with C-SPAN to be broadcast Sunday, Bingaman said any carbon limits face an uphill climb.

“I could support such an approach, but I do think that when you look at the makeup of the Senate today, there are quite a few senators who I think are going to be resistant to anything that could be labeled as cap-and-trade,” he said of the utility plan.

“I don’t know if the votes are there. I am somewhat dubious that the votes are there to do even that piece,” he added.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring a broad energy package to the floor later this month, and environmentalists and liberal Democrats are struggling to keep some form of carbon caps in the mix.

C-SPAN has posted a video of the interview on their website.