US Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) this week is expected to introduce legislation that fellow Democrats say will provide a more pragmatic approach to energy policy.
The bill is in response to a comprehensive Republican energy proposal that includes a controversial provision to drill on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska (OGJ Online, Feb. 26, 2001).
The Republican plan also would offer expanded tax incentives to marginal-well producers and a host of other regulatory relief measures for the oil, gas, electric, nuclear, and coal industries.
Demos' view
Bingaman and other Democrats argue that the Republican proposal seeks only to ramp up supplies without reducing demand. The result, Democrats and some Republicans say, would be more air pollution and less energy security. The Murkowski plan is endorsed by GOP leaders but has the backing of only one Democrat, John Breaux of Louisiana.
Support for Bingaman's version remains uncertain, and the White House has not commented on the legislative draft. But moderate Republicans from energy-dependent regions are being asked to support what Democrats are calling a "centrist" proposal.
The Democratic bill is expected to offer tax breaks but with more emphasis on energy efficiency and alternate fuel use. The proposal, like its Republican counterpart, seeks to streamline the environmental permitting process. It calls on regulators to retool administration policies that restrict drilling on public lands.
The Democratic bill would not allow ANWR exploration due to fears the drilling and production "footprint" would be too large.
Bingaman's draft reportedly would instruct the White House to create a commission on climate change that would draft policies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. Bingaman also wants the US Department of Energy to consider which market conditions justify withdrawals from the 564 million bbl Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
