WATCHING WASHINGTON ENERGY DEBATE SET

It is hard to gauge how much grief awaits the Senate energy committee's omnibus energy bill.

Sen. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), committee chairman, expects the legislation to be brought to the Senate floor next week.

Johnston, meeting with reporters last week, wore a mask of confidence but clearly is worried about the bill.

He admitted the measure is more controversial than he would like and is badgered by "a great deal of disinformation, emotion, and nonfactual arguments.

THE ANWR ISSUE

In particular, opponents are rallying against allowing exploration on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain and the bill's mild approach to increasing corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards.

Johnston said some senators might even filibuster the bill to keep it from coming to the Senate floor.

He insisted, "I am very hopeful and optimistic about the chances of passing this bill." But he has taken some unusual steps that reveal deep worry about the bill's fate. For instance, Johnston has tried to educate other senators about the bill with Senate floor speeches and last week called a press conference to "talk up" the legislation.

And he has enlisted the Wexler Group, a public relations firm headed by former Carter White House aide Anne Wexler, to coordinate lobbying by the National Energy Security Coalition made up of companies and energy interest groups supporting the bill.

Johnston said the Senate will consider amendments to each title of the bill in sequence, beginning with CAFE.

He said other than CAFE and ANWR, there are no signals there will be too many substantive changes attempted with amendments.

The vote count in favor of ANWR drilling "looks very good," although it will be a tough environmental vote for senators in an election year.

Johnston said an undisclosed senator visited the North Slope this summer, was impressed at how Prudhoe Bay was run, and admitted the ANWR Coastal Plain "ain't no Yellowstone." But the senator will vote against ANWR drilling to retain his environmental credentials.

Johnston said congressional consideration of an omnibus energy policy will run "well into 1992" but should not become the subject of Democrat-Republican electioneering.

"We can't stop the business of this country just because we have a presidential campaign. And this is the very best chance we have for a comprehensive energy policy."

WALLOP'S VIEW

Sen. Malcolm Wallop (R-Wyo.), the ranking Republican on the energy committee, said the legislation should pass because "the opponents of this bill offer no alternatives."

Wallop argued the bill is necessary because in the past, Congress has passed only the "easy" energy bills, resulting in "a terrible distortion in energy policy."

Earlier, Wallop observed the Persian Gulf war has not given energy legislation much impetus. "The Persian Gulf war was too short to sustain passion for an energy policy-and too long by any other measure."

Now, he said, Congress will consider the legislation in a sort of political vacuum, "which means the emotional arguments that will be used against this bill will have a lot more validity."