WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 2010 -- UPI



Power companies are split on a possible climate bill that would target only utilities, exempting transportation and manufacturing.

At the moment, the bill is only in the talking stages, Politico reports. But Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said Sunday on "Face The Nation" that he would support a limited climate change bill if the broad one he drafted with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., fails to gain traction.

Some utilities say they prefer a broader bill but would be willing to support a compromise to get certainty about changes they have to make.

"CO2 is an economy-wide problem that deserves an economy-wide solution, and the Kerry-Lieberman bill is a very good start," said Ralph Izzo, the CEO of PSEG, the largest electrical utility in New Jersey. "However, if focusing initially on the electric sector makes it possible for the Senate to act on climate change, this would be a better scenario than no action at all."

But Zach Hill, a lobbyist for Alliant Energy, based in Madison, Wis., said the proposal would give Midwestern senators "a little environmental 'bang' for a lot of their constituents' bucks."

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