Carbon clash: states have plenty at stake as the U.S. House and Senate hash out climate change legislation.

• Author: Mason, Amanda

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It may be hard to tell from reading the headlines, but 2009 has been a big year for climate change regulation.

While the public's attention has been focused on the drawn-out debate over health care reform, Congress and the Obama administration have been busy with what could end up being far-reaching changes to the nation's approach to regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

The moves include a climate change bill passed by the U.S. House, a change of direction by the Environmental Protection Agency regarding California's authority to regulate vehicle emissions, and preparations by the administration to join other world leaders in Copenhagen this month to discuss next steps for nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It will be a follow up to the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 agreement aimed at curbing global warming that expires in 2012, which the United States did not sign.

Despite all the activity, the year still could end with a fizzle. The Senate is unlikely to move quickly enough to have legislation ready for the president to sign before the new year.

SORTING OUT THE BILLS

The House bill on climate change was introduced in early May and approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee on May 21.

Bringing the bill to the full House for a vote, however, was delayed by concerns about how it would affect people in agricultural communities and industries that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide. After additional changes, the House approved a new version by a vote of 219-212 in late June.

Legislation has moved more slowly in the Senate. The Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act was introduced Sept. 30 by Senators Barbara Boxer, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and John Kerry, chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. As of press time, Boxer's committee was expected to debate, amend and rewrite the legislation--the process known as markup--in hopes of having a bill ready for a committee vote by the end of November.

The bill also falls under the jurisdiction of several other committees--Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Finance; and Foreign Relations--and may be debated by those panels as well.

With so many players involved, it is unlikely a final bill could be passed by the Senate, reconciled in a conference committee with the House bill, approved by both chambers and signed by the president before the talks in Copenhagen begin Dec. 7.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has...