Comprehensive energy legislation has stalled in the Senate. The deadlock surrounds a link between the repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) and the granting of more federal oversight in power industry mergers. Republican committee members refused to accept that additional regulatory oversight provisions are needed to ensure that some of PUHCA's consumer and investor protections remain.
Republicans are also thought to have shied away from an attempt to advance the renewable portfolio standard from the 2003 Senate energy bill, which called for utilities to get 20% of their power from renewables by 2025. The Republicans instead want the standard to include all low emission sources such as clean coal and nuclear power.
As a result of the impasse, the draft energy bill is likely to be unveiled in two parts over the next few weeks, after which mark up will begin.
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