WASHINGTON — In the wake of a debate over the Keystone XL pipeline that also became a debate about climate change, the chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee said Thursday that she is open to considering climate provisions in a broader energy package she intends to work on this year.
“When you’re talking about energy, I think there is a very legitimate discussion to be had about climate,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who took over as chair last month, told reporters. “How we might factor that into a bigger package is something that obviously has yet to be discussed.”
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“We both agree that it’s long overdue that we have a bigger energy reform package,” Murkowski said, indicating that she expects to start hearings in late winter or early spring. “It’s not easy. It’s never easy. But it’s long overdue.”
