ENERGY POLICY:
Senate Tuesday group has bipartisan energy legislation in its sights
Jean Chemnick, E&E reporter
E&E Daily: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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Senate supporters of efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions hope to cobble together a package this year that would boost energy efficiency and alternative energy -- and can pass the Senate.

The group, headed by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), revived their Tuesday meetings late last year, and approximately 20 Democrats attend regularly.

Kerry said yesterday he hoped some Republicans would eventually become part of the klatch.

"I would hope we could make it bipartisan," he said.

The group originated in the last Congress to support efforts to pass comprehensive climate change legislation, but its leaders have lowered their sights considerably since then.

Kerry said the new goal is to put together a package of relatively noncontroversial bills aimed at boosting efficiency and alternative energy. Several such measures have already passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee chaired by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) on a bipartisan basis, and some of them may be on the menu, Kerry said.

"Senator Bingaman has some things they're working on in the Energy committee, and we're working on trying to conglomeratize that and see what we can pull together that has broader census," he said.

Kerry conceded that it would be difficult to pass almost anything in an election year, "but we're going to do stuff that's not controversial."...