Wyo Senator Provides Relief From Federal Impacts of Climate Legislation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Barrasso fought successfully to improve major climate change legislation today, winning votes on two key amendments in the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Global Warming’s mark-up of the Warner-Lieberman climate legislation.

Senator Barrasso served as the ranking Republican at the committee mark-up in the absence of Sen. John Warner.

The first successful Barrasso amendment ensures that Wyoming , and all states, receive financial assistance to ease any negative impacts the legislation would have on state economies.

“This bill poses serious challenges for Wyoming ‘s economy,” Barrasso said. “Our state is the nation’s top source for energy, and more specifically energy derived from coal. I will continue to fight to make sure Wyoming jobs and communities are protected from any negative impacts this bill would have on our economic future.”

The Wyoming County Commissioners Association wrote expressing support for Senator Barrasso because of concerns about the impacts local communities could face — especially those who depend on fossil fuel-based energy.

The second successful Barrasso amendment allows lower British thermal unit (Btu) coal to qualify for capture and sequestration program incentives. This provision is important because most Wyoming coal has less than 9,000 Btu.

Barrasso said he will continue to fight at the full EPW committee level for making the University of Wyoming the new home of a national center for coal research, focusing on clean coal technology on a federal level.

“When oil is between $90 and $100 dollars a barrel, it is abundantly clear that we need strategic focus on domestic energy sources. Clean coal technologies are the future of a safe, reliable domestic energy source for this nation. Foreign energy sources are unstable. Period,” he said.

“It won’t always be a presidential election season when Washington thinks anti-coal views are the vogue. By establishing Wyoming at the forefront of clean-coal technology nationally, we strengthen Wyoming ‘s role in that future, and provide needed domestic energy sources for our great nation,” Barrasso said.