Senate Passes First Comprehensive, Bipartisan Energy Bill Since 2007

By a vote of 85-12, the Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan energy bill, S.2012 – the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, last Wednesday. The bill's passage marks the first time in almost a decade since the Senate has passed a comprehensive energy bill. The bill contains titles focused on efficiency, infrastructure, supply, conservation, accountability, and resources. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chairwoman of the Senate Energy Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, authored and led the passage of the bill. For more on the energy bill, read on!

Key provisions of the bill would enhance energy savings; facilitate the modernization of the electric grid; support research and development of new clean energy technologies; promote the development of hydropower, geothermal, methane hydrates, and other resources; streamline the federal approval process for liquefied natural gas (LNG)