Senate begins push for climate change bill

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the Senate on Tuesday began a drive to advance climate change legislation, a top Obama administration priority, amid warnings that a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives to reduce carbon emissions would have to be changed.

Among changes that could be sought to win broader Senate support for the bill are less ambitious carbon emission reduction goals, the inclusion of nuclear power as an alternative energy source, and tougher regulation of the pollution permits that companies could trade to each other.

President Barack Obama sent four Cabinet secretaries to Capitol Hill to testify at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as it tries to build support for legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for global warming.

While Congress grapples with ways to control U.S. carbon emissions, Obama also wants the United States to play a significant role in global efforts. Currently, the United States and China are the world's leading carbon polluters.

"Clean energy is to this decade and the next what the space race was to the 1950s and '60s, and America is behind," testified Lisa Jackson, Environmental Protection Agency administrator.

Flanked by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Jackson said a climate change bill narrowly passed by the House on June 26 was "the right start."

But signaling the administration's willingness to consider changes, she added, "You all in the Senate have work to do."

Many view the House legislation as the most sweeping environmental bill ever attempted by Washington. It would force companies to reduce their carbon emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050, from 2005 levels.