GOP Warms Up to Emissions Cuts

Several moderate GOP governors have outlined their own plans to cut carbon emissions, among them California's Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But not all Republicans, and not all major utility executives, feel the same way. American Electric Power president and chief executive Michael Morris, whose company is the biggest U.S. consumer of coal, at 75 million tons a year, said in an interview that he believes it's "ill-advised to burden our American manufacturers when our competitors" in China and India do not face the constraints. He added that he thinks carbon controls are inevitable, but only in 20 or 30 years when industry has developed cleaner technologies.

The National Association of Manufacturers also has stepped up its lobbying against greenhouse emissions limitations: On Monday it plans to release a report saying carbon emissions limits and other measures could deprive the U.S. of 1.3 million jobs in 2020 compared with a pro-energy development strategy.

Some influential Republicans are equally adamant.

Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, said public opinion may have shifted in favor of federal regulation, but that he holds his colleagues "to a higher standard" and that "doing what's right for America far outweighs counting where the votes are back home."

No one appears to have a solid vote count. The last time the Senate voted on the McCain-Lieberman proposal it garnered 43 votes; Lieberman said he thinks they have picked up support by adding a section that funnels federal money to clean coal technology as well as biomass and nuclear research and development. McCain said Republicans including Mike DeWine (Ohio), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) and Mel Martinez (Fla.) are taking a look at his bill, but said they have yet to commit to it.

Bingaman is trying to lure Senate Energy Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici (N.M.) onto his proposal, which could give his bill a powerful boost. Bingaman and his backers have advertised his plan as a common-sense, cheaper alternative to McCain-Lieberman, but it has come under fire from several environmental groups.

Hagel said it is impossible to predict what the Senate will do once the energy bill reaches the floor. "I don't think there's any center of gravity up here," he said.