Republican throws wrench into Obama's hopes for climate action

Jun 10, 2010, 12:57 GMT

Washington - A Republican lawmaker on Wednesday complicated President Barack Obama's efforts to get far-reaching climate legislation through Congress, introducing a more modest rival bill that could peel away support from the Democratic Party's version.

The bill comes as Obama has struggled to garner broad support for a comprehensive climate bill amid opposition from most conservatives and divisions within his own party. A massive oil spill off the US Gulf Coast has complicated the politics of energy policies.

Senator Richard Lugar, considered a moderate conservative lawmaker, introduced a climate bill that encourages energy efficiency, more fuel-efficient vehicles, increases nuclear power use and offers companies incentives to adopt alternatives to dirtier fossil fuels.

Outside of vehicle standars for carmakers, Lugar's bill would not force US companies to cut their carbon emissions, nor does it endorse a so-called cap-and-trade scheme, supported by Obama, that aims to put a price on carbon pollution.

Lugar pledged to reduce US greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming by 'nearly half' of Obama's goal of a 17-per-cent cut below 2005 levels by 2020 - a pledge made by the US at the UN-backed Copenhagen climate summit in December 2009.

Lugar's legislation has reportedly attracted the support of other moderate Republicans, such as Senators Lisa Murkowski and Lindsey Graham, whom Obama had hoped to bring on board the Democratic Party's own proposals.

The Obama administration welcomed Lugar's contribution to the debate but said it would continue pushing for a more comprehensive bill in the Democratic-controlled Senate that included a mandatory cap on the carbon emissions of companies.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu, in a letter to Lugar, said that to 'fully capitalize' on the potential of clean energy required legislation 'that puts a price on carbon and makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy.'

Lugar argued that tackling climate change was a low priority for most Americans. The public was more interested in restoring the country's economy and solving the country's reliance on foreign energy sources - whether or not the focus is on cutting pollution.

'Energy and climate legislation must reflect the economic realities facing Americans today,' Lugar said. 'This plan satisfies the concerns of two-thirds of Americans who say we should be addressing our energy needs now.'

Lugar's version enters a crowded field of proposed bills designed to reform how the United States meets its energy needs. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman offered a cap-and-trade bill last month after months of negotiations. Last summer, the Senate's Energy Committee approved its own, more comprehensive version.

US environmental groups offered a hesitant reaction to Lugar's offer, with some arguing it would create 'momentum' for a broader bill and others fearing it could weaken the final outcome.

'This proposal is no substitute for the comprehensive clean energy and climate bill we need to hold polluters accountable, break our dangerous addiction to oil and curb climate change,' said Dan Lashof of the Washington-based Natural Resources Defence Council.