Cap-and-trade prospects after the elections
ClimateWire (The New York Times)
July 27, 2010
"The changing political landscape could cripple efforts to pass a climate bill, said David Bookbinder, who served as Sierra Club's chief climate counsel until his resignation in May. 'They couldn't get a climate bill through the Senate with 59 Democratic votes,' he said. 'What are they going to do when they have 53 or 54?'
But Paul Bledsoe, a strategist at the bipartisan National Commission on Energy Policy, said the presumption that the next Congress will be less likely to act on climate may not be accurate.
'Sometimes, when one party has large majorities, it can be difficult to put together a bipartisan coalition,' he said. 'Sometimes, when the party balance is closer, it actually becomes easier to put together bipartisan coalitions because you've got to get some things done.'
Bledsoe said there may also be room for compromise on energy issues outside of climate. 'Most Republicans have vilified the cap-and-trade approach, although many supported it previously. The question is, 'Are there other policy measures that could gain broader acceptance within the GOP?' And I think it's a proposition worth testing.'"
Stay Connected
