Dorgan, climate and coal

A big question surrounding Sen. Byron Dorgan’s (D-N.D.) decision to retire: How will it affect his stance on climate legislation that faces big Senate hurdles?

Dorgan doesn’t like Democratic cap-and-trade plans but wants some kind of limit on emissions, making him a wild card in the climate change debate.

Over at Mother Jones, Kate Sheppard wonders whether Dorgan’s interest in working on energy policy in the private sector will lead him to represent coal interests. North Dakota is heavily reliant on coal for power, and has substantial reserves as well.

She notes that Dorgan could consult on wind energy, which he supports, but adds “it seems most likely that the revolving door will drop him off in coal country.”

“And if that is the case, it seems to indicate that Dorgan would be even less likely to vote for a cap-and-trade plan this year that would hurt the coal industry,” she writes.

But there are already differing views about what Dorgan’s decision means for the climate bill.

As I noted in this post on Dorgan Wednesday, Joe Romm of the Center for American Progress suggests that Dorgan’s surprise decision could increase his chances of backing a climate bill.