After a three-day markup, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved a broad energy policy reform bill on Thursday, July 30 that will next head to the Senate floor. Sponsored by Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 aimed to combine bipartisan energy goals and avoid contentious provisions that would limit the bill’s chances of passing. Among the bill’s priorities: improving energy efficiency, investing in energy infrastructure, ensuring adequate energy supply, and conservation reauthorization.

The committee discussed many amendments to the bill, some of which did not receive votes but garnered significant debate. Sen. Cassidy (R-LA) raised an amendment that would open the Department of Energy (DOE)’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program (ATVM) loans and grants to manufacturers of vessels and trucks, but agreed to withdraw it until an appropriations offset for its cost could be determined. Sen. Risch (R-ID) noted the lack of regulation for renewable energy development on public lands and discussed an amendment to address this, including creating a more competitive bidding process for projects, which he also withdrew.

Sen. Wyden (D-OR) offered an amendment to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools program, which shares revenue from timber harvest on public lands with local communities. He also withdrew his amendment noting his desire to work with Chairman on it.

Among the amendments that did receive votes, 6 were agreed to and 8 failed. The Committee approved Sen. Alexander (R-TN)’s amendment to reauthorize ATVM and provide funding for vehicle technology research and development. Sen. Manchin (D-WV)’s amendment to repeal provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 related to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) for coal, and to institute a new CCS program was also approved.

Sen. Hoeven (R-ND) offered an amendment to remove the need for a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) permit for minerals found underground, where BLM does not own the land but has a minority interest in the minerals. Debate about this amendment was contentious, but after modifying it to allow the Secretary of the Interior to waive the need for a BLM permit at her discretion, the amendment was approved.

While the bill received bipartisan support in the vote to move it out of Committee, with 18 votes in favor and 4 opposed, it is unclear whether their touted bipartisan cooperation will persist on the Senate floor. The Committee also passed Chairman Murkowski’s Offshore Production and Energizing National Security Act of 2015 in a party line vote, which would expedite the permitting process and alter revenue sharing for offshore oil and gas development.

TCS has several concerns with many of the discussed amendments and provisions in the bill which increase energy subsidies. We will be tracking and commenting on the bill as it moves forward this fall.