Senate Hearing on Climate Change: A Grouchy Start

The U.S. Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee began hearings on climate change Tuesday and summoned the head of the departments of energy, interior and agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sparks flew as California senator Barbara Boxer, who chairs the committee, chastised the Republicans for their staunch opposition to setting up a program to cap-and-trade carbon emissions, a means to put a price on emissions and force companies to pollute less. The House of Representatives passed a climate change bill with a cap-and-trade program by a narrow 219-212 vote last month.

Boxer warned that people could expect to "hear fierce words of doubt and fear and worse from the other side of the aisle."

In return, Sen. James Inhofe from Oklahoma and the ranking Republican on the committee, poked fun at Boxer for not having a climate change bill ready to discuss and questioned her plan to have the bill pass the committee over the next few months.

He also warned that any bill from the Democrats would not be well received by the public.

"The bottom line is this: However you spin this debate, or whatever schemes you concoct to hide the higher costs consumers will pay, the public will find out.  And when they do, they will reject those schemes and reject the spin," Inhofe said.

Boxer is expected to release a draft bill in the next few weeks, reported New York Times' Green Inc.

The climate change bill passed by the House not only includes a cap-and-trade program, it also contains mandates for utilities to provide renewable electricity and provisions that would promote the deployment of smart grid and solar energy projects (see a summary).

But the cap-and-trade program remains the most controversial because it would require companies to reduce emissions over time and pay up if they aren't able to emit under the limits. The House bill would give away most of the emissions permits for free initially, however.

Republicans and some industry groups worry that the program would significantly increase a business's operational cost, which could render it less competitive in the global market. They also worry consumers would see a big rise in the costs of goods and services as a result of the program.

At the Tuesday hearing, Energy Secretary Steve Chu, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and others urged senators to pass a comprehensive legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy, including nuclear.