The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources continued its steady, deliberate pace toward completion of comprehensive energy legislation. The Committee held another in its serial mark-up of energy legislation last week, tackling a series of amendments to Chairman Bingaman’s proposal for a national renewable energy standard. The proposal, with many minor adjustments, remains on track for full Committee approval in the coming weeks. The Committee also approved provisions increasing building code energy efficiency standards. For a summary of the bill to date, click here. For bill text, to date, click here. Mark-up continues this week, with the focus on use of public lands for renewables, energy market regulation, carbon capture, and other matters. Chairman Bingaman has stated his intention to complete mark-up this week or next.
The Committee also expects to take up the key nominations of Cathy Zoi to serve as DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Anne Castle as Assistant Secretary of Interior for Water and Science, and William Brinkman as Director of DOE’s Office of Science.
