Senate Approves First Stand-Alone Energy Policy Bill Since 2007

Against the backdrop of the presidential campaigns, stand-alone energy legislation is advancing in Congress for the first time since 2007. On Wednesday, April 20, 2016, the Senate voted, 82-12, to approve S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) worked for months with Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and others in the Senate to craft the bipartisan bill. Although the Senate began considering the bill in January 2016, a final vote had been delayed by controversial proposed amendments dealing with lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, and proposals to provide revenue-sharing with coastal states from offshore oil and gas production. Ultimately, senators agreed to consider the Flint package separately and to withdraw the offshore drilling amendment, allowing the Senate to move quickly to conclude debate on, and pass, the bill.