Washington (Platts)--17Apr2009

US lawmakers will choose to curb greenhouse gases through legislation
rather than allow the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the
emissions under the Clean Air Act, a key Democratic lawmaker said Friday.

Representative Edward Markey, Democrat-Massachusetts, told reporters that
EPA's endangerment finding for carbon released Friday was a "game changer,"
and would spur lawmakers of both parties to find a legislative compromise to
reduce emissions linked to global warming before the EPA could formulate
regulations to do so.

The EPA said Friday said it has determined that six greenhouse gases,
including carbon dioxide, pose a threat to public health and welfare.

"Many Democrats and Republicans prefer the legislative process," said
Markey, who heads the House Energy and Environment subcommittee with
jurisdiction over climate change. "I have sensed that in my conversations with
members, and I think that is the way this process will unfold."

Markey and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman presented
a draft version of a bill before Congress recessed two weeks ago which
combined a cap-and-trade system for carbon with other energy efficiency and
renewable energy measures.

They intend to hold "exhaustive" hearings on the bill next week, Markey
said, with subcommittee votes beginning the following week.

The two chairman hope to shepherd the so-called Clean Energy Security Act
of 2009 through subcommittee and committee in the next four weeks, with a
final House vote planned later this year.

"We are on track to get a bill out of the House by this year," Markey
said. "That is still our plan."

Markey and Waxman face an uphill battle to secure the votes needed to
send their bill to the House floor, and must convince virtually all Energy and
Commerce Democrats to support it. Republicans on the committee are expected to
unite in opposition to the measure.

Markey said that the endangerment finding, however, would help convince
the undecided to vote for the measure.

"It is more cost-effective and environmentally effective to legislate,"
Markey said. "The legislative process offers us a way to protect consumers
against energy price spikes as the regulatory process does not."

--Jean Chemnick, jean_chemnick@platts.com