No Climate Bill Expected from Congress in 2010

The US Congress is not expected to produce a climate bill for 2010.  Instead the focus is expected to be on an separate energy bill that would have more bipartisan support.   US Senator Byron Dorgan, a democrat, stated "It is my assessment that we likely will not do climate change this year, but will do an energy bill instead,"

Dorgan said legislation already cleared by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee would be easier to pass.

That energy bill would require more US electricity supplies to be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar, and expand offshore drilling into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which holds an estimated 3.9 billion barrels of oil.

Dorgan said he hoped the full Senate would pass the energy bill by the end of June. That measure would still have to clear the House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Barack Obama before it could take effect.