Up in the Air

By Bill Polits

Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has asked the US Chamber of Commerce to work together with lawmakers to create energy and climate legislation that has a chance of becoming law.

In an article in Oil and Gas Journal, Waxman details the fractious relationship between the US Chamber and lawmakers trying to make headway on the climate and energy issues facing the United States. He explains that in order for US companies to be able to chart a course through the challenges posed by human-influenced global warming, a cooperative approach would better serve our country as a whole.

H.B. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, championed by Waxman and Edward Markey (D-Mass.), contained restrictions on HFCs used in fire suppression. The House legislation passed in June, 2009, but the Senate legislation - which contained language providing means for the EPA to grant an exception to restrictions on HFCs - never made it to a vote.