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Even before the Gulf rig explosion, it seemed unlikely the Senate would match the House by passing an energy bill capping greenhouse gas emissions and establishing some type of marketplace in which emission permits could be exchanged. The best hope involved drawing the support of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who insisted on expanded offshore drilling and more federal loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants. Graham said in an interview Wednesday that the Gulf spill does not necessarily rule out passage of a comprehensive energy bill this year, although he noted it's always difficult to round up 60 votes to overcome filibusters in the 100-member Senate. Praising Obama's approach to the oil spill, Graham said, "We should be cautious, we should let this settle out, get this bill under control, find out what happened, but realize that America's energy dependency is a national security threat." "Our choices all involve risk," Graham said. The risk of having Middle East countries set oil prices for America, "and this money getting into the wrong hands that we send overseas, to me, is much greater than the risks of domestic exploration for oil and gas." Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who is leading efforts to craft a Senate energy bill, told an environmental gathering Wednesday that this year is "perhaps our last, best chance to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation." To settle for a scaled-back bill that deals only with energy sources and consumption, Kerry said, "ignores the fact that America today is confronting three interrelated crises: an energy security crisis, a climate crisis and an economic crisis. Our best response to all three is a bold, comprehensive bill that accelerates green innovation and creates millions of new jobs as we develop and produce the next generation of renewable power sources, alternative fuels and energy-efficient cars, homes and workplaces."
[Associated
Press;
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