In Washington, as skirmishing continues over the shape of energy legislation this year, the probability is looming that Republican opposition to a price on carbon may derail cap-and-trade in all sectors except the power industry, where the imposition of a carbon cap-and-trade system may kick off a competition for biomass that would derail some biofuels business models.
The scenario emerged as a leading contender as more and more Democrats are signaling that they will accept a limited energy bill that embraces Gulf oil spill clean-up provisions, and a package that, according to The Hill, may include “a utility-only carbon plan, fuel efficiency increases from Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), a bipartisan plan to increase the production of plug-in electric vehicles, and tax provisions to incentivize green energy manufacturing.”
The Republican Party has indicated support for electric vehicles, nuclear power and energy R&D.
