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 Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican chair of the Senate
energy committee and Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, its ranking
Democrat, urged lawmakers not to thwart passage of the bipartisan
bill, which cleared their panel in an 18-4 vote.
A handful of senators planned to file amendments to the bill to spur
legislative action on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan and to
address other more contentious energy issues.
Aides said Democratic Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of
Michigan plan to offer amendments laying out a legislative response
to the Flint emergency. They would not provide details on the
amendments.
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah and other western lawmakers
are expected to offer an amendment that would make it harder for the
U.S. Interior Department to move forward with a moratorium on coal
development on federal land introduced this month.
 "Let's show the Senate can work. Let's not go crazy with a bunch of
ancillary things," Cantwell said on the Senate floor.
Murkowski said the bill is the result of more than a year of working
with committee members to find common ground on a handful of key
priorities.
"We found common ground in many areas, more, perhaps, than any of us
expected," Murkowski said. The bill focuses on energy efficiency,
infrastructure, supply, accountability, and conservation.
Measures include expediting the permitting of LNG projects, natural
gas pipeline permits, boosting hydropower production and improving
defenses against cyber attacks on the electric grid.
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Murkowski and Cantwell tried to craft a bill that could pass with
bipartisan support in an election year.
In December, Congress voted to repeal a 40-year-old ban on exporting
crude oil, a Republican policy priority. The deal also included the
Democratic goal of extending tax breaks to boost renewable energy
for five years.
"Not only will this bipartisan legislation help bring our energy
policies in line with the demands of today, it will also help
position us to benefit from the opportunities of tomorrow," said
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. He told reporters he
expected to complete debate on the bill next week.
The Obama administration said in a statement it "supports some
provisions of the legislation" but has concerns with a few elements.
(Additional reporting by Rick Cowan and Patricia Zengerle; Editing
by David Gregorio)
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