US Senate to begin energy bill floor debate in late March: Aide

Washington (Platts)--8Mar2004

The US Senate will begin floor debate on a pared-down version of a comprehensive energy bill at the end of March, Republican counsel to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said Monday. Speaking before the National Assn of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Lisa Epifani said the Republican majority is aware that Democrats have prepared 300 floor amendments to the bill (S 2095) and expects a "lengthy" debate.

The House passed a compromise measure (HR 6) in November, but the bill failed to pass the Senate after members expressed concern over language that would have provided a limited liability waiver for makers of the fuel additive MTBE. The Senate's revised bill eliminates the provision and cuts by about half the $31-bil cost of HR 6.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (Republican-Texas) last week said he would prefer no bill to one without the MTBE waiver. Epifani, however, remained optimistic. "I think Mr. Barton wants an energy bill and we will finds a resolution to achieve that goal," she said.

But Leon Lowery, a Democratic committee staff member, told the group that he believes a bill is unlikely to pass. Lowery said there are issues beyond MTBE in the GOP-drafted bill that raise concerns among Democrat, including language that would repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act, delay implementation of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's standard market design and failure to include a renewable-energy portfolio standard. "This bill has the smell of death about it," said Lowery.