Bingaman Introduces Clean Energy Standard Legislation for Utilities

Flanked by several Democratic senators and clean power advocates at a Capitol Hill press conference, Bingaman said the bill amounts to “a simple plan to modernize the power sector and guide it to a future in which more and more of our electricity is generated with cleaner and cleaner energy.”

“We want to make sure we strive for continued diversity in our energy sources and allow each region of the country to deploy clean energy with their own appropriate resources,” Bingman said. “We want to make sure we do all of this in way that supports home-grown innovation and manufacturing and keeps us competitive in the global clean energy economy.”

The bill lacks a single Republican co-sponsor and faces tough sledding in both the Senate and Republican-controlled House. Bingaman acknowledged the political hurdles but said it’s worth trying to pass the bill.

“To be realistic, I think getting substantive legislation through both house of Congress to the president for signature is very difficult,” Bingaman said, adding that he hopes to  hold hearings on the bill in the energy committee and take a vote.

He also said he hopes the hearings will at least “concentrate people’s attention on this proposal as a way to deal with some of our energy problems.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the top Republican on the Senate energy committee, doesn’t support the Bingaman bill, although some Republicans – including former Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico, have supported similar proposals in the past. Murkowski spokesman Robert Dillon said  Murkowski disputes Bingaman’s contention that the mandate wouldn’t raise costs on utilities and consumers. Dillon also said the bill has no chance of reaching the president’s desk.

“Our focus would prefer to be on legislation that has bipartisan support…and has a chance on the Senate floor,” Dillon told the Journal.

The White House backs the bill.

“Chairman Bingaman’s Clean Energy Standard legislation is an important step towards the President’s goal of doubling clean energy by 2035,” said White House spokesman Adam Abrams. “As the President has said consistently, a CES will drive innovation and investment in a range of clean energy sources – including renewables like wind and solar as well as nuclear, efficient natural gas, and clean coal.  A CES will also help America remain a leader in the clean energy economy, with all the jobs that it will bring.  We look forward to working with Congress as the bill moves forward.”

Here’s how Bingman’s bill would work. Beginning in 2015, the law would require the largest utilities to generate 24 percent of their power from clean sources. That amount would increase 3 percent each year through 2035. Bingaman said in 2015, only 8 percent of all American utilities would be required to comply. That number would jump to 13 percent by 2025.

Under the bill clean energy is defined as electricity generated at a facility placed in service after 1991 using renewable energy energy, qualified renewable biomass, natural gas,m hydropower nuclear power or qualified waste-to-energy sources.