Hopes that a rare outbreak of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill could this week deliver the first wide-ranging US energy bill in over eight years are at risk of being torpedoed at the 11th hour, as Democrats and Republicans battle over the response to the pollution crisis that has engulfed the Michigan town of Flint.
The bill, which has been developed by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Maria Cantwell, had been expected to move to a vote in the Senate later today. Observers were confident the sweeping energy reform bill would pass, after a series of partisan amendments were blocked earlier this week and the leadership of both parties signalled their support for the legislation.
However, reports emerged yesterday that the bill could yet be scuppered over Democrat attempts to incorporate a $600m aid package for the city of Flint, which has seen dangerous levels of lead enter its drinking water following a controversial decision to switch water supplies from the Detroit municipal network to the more corrosive water in the Flint River. As a result of the move, lead from pipes has begun leaching into water supplies, leaving people unable to safely drink tap water.
Democrats and Republicans clashed over the proposed aid package. GOP senators accused Democrats of seeking a ‘blank cheque', while one key Democrat, Senator Debbie Stabenow, reportedly suggested the bill could yet be blocked.
Failure to pass the bill would represent a major blow for Murkowski and Cantwell, who have been working since last summer to secure bipartisan support for a raft of measures that combine policies to speed up the export of US gas with an extension of conservation funding, increased support for energy efficiency programmes, and plans to enhance the country's power grid, making it easier to integrate increasing levels of renewables capacity and protect against cyberattacks.
The bill was passed by 18 votes to four by the Senate Energy Committee, fuelling hopes that the recent passage of legislation extending tax breaks for wind and solar projects could be bolstered by similar support for energy saving and grid upgrade programmes.
In related news, Democrat Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton this week unveiled a new plan to improve building energy efficiency standards, promising the proposals would save households and businesses $70bn a year, while also cutting public sector spending on energy by $8bn a year.
The strategy would see grants made available to cities and states that strengthen local building codes and take steps to phase out oil heating systems. The Clinton campaign said the aim was to cut energy waste from buildings by a third within 10 years.
The announcement follows Clinton's high profile pledge to defend President Obama's Clean Power Plan and introduce new policies to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies - a move that saw the Presidential hopeful declare last summer that her administration would deliver enough renewable power for every US home by 2027.
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