With the May 17 release of President Bushs task force report on energy policy, the issue has moved to the front burner. Bush moved quickly to implement some of the panels 105 recommendations, and Congress is beginning to wrestle with legislation dealing with other parts of the plan. The drive to produce an energy bill this year seems to have some steam on Capitol Hill, but Democrats strong position guarantees the President wont get all he wants from Congress. Moreover, decisions on many issues that affect constructionsuch as siting and financing more refineries, powerplants, transmission lines and pipelinesrest more with local officials and the private sector than the federal government.
Things are beginning to move. On May 18, Bush signed two executive orders recommended in the task force report. One directs agencies to expedite reviews of permits for "energy-related projects." The other mandates that a "statement of energy effects" be included in all new major federal regulations.
The congressional debate has begun. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was scheduled to start hearings May 23 on the Bush program. Panel Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) hopes to have a broad-based energy measure out of committee by mid-June and on the Senate floor soon after that. "Were going to mark it up. Were going to move it out," he says.