Bingaman eyes additions to Senate energy package, jobs bill

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved a large energy package in June that Democratic leaders have planned to attach to climate change legislation. But Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said that more contributions from his panel may be en route.

“We haven’t settled on exactly what to do yet, but I think we are considering whether to add some additional issues that we would try and bring to the committee for consideration before we get to floor debate on energy,” he said in an interview earlier this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to bring up a climate and energy bill next spring.

Bingaman said he will work with committee ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and didn't say what additional items may be in the offing. The pair jointly introduced a bill last week to spur deployment of small nuclear reactors.

Bingaman also said the jobs bill Democrats are planning should be a vehicle for several energy provisions.

They include expanded tax credits for manufacturing renewable energy components. Bingaman also wants to pluck two items from the big bill his committee cleared: the "clean energy deployment administration" that would boost federal financing for alternative energy projects, and a measure expanding Federal Energy Regulatory Commission power over transmission line siting.

"You could argue that the expansion of the transmission capacity, the additional authority for FERC over transmission capacity, also will create jobs by facilitating renewable energy projects," he said. "Those are some examples. I am sure there are others."