Oregon Public Broadcasting

A U.S. Senate committee will spend much of the week considering sweeping climate change legislation. 

The panel includes Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley. At the first hearing  Tuesday, senators heard from three cabinet secretaries, as well as the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

In questioning cabinet members at the end of the hearing, Senator Merkley asked whether the current Boxer-Kerry bill does enough to promote energy efficiency, or alternative cars.

Jeff Merkley: “If all the cars could go thirty percent – thirty miles – on electricity, we would reduce the carbon dioxide production. Of course, this is assuming the electricity comes from renewable sources, by 80 percent from passenger vehicles. Should we be working more to really push the frontier on converting the American auto fleet?”

Transportation secretary Ray LaHood told Merkley that General Motors is already responding. Senators clashed over the future role of nuclear power and what’s termed “clean coal.”