The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) is holding its “2008 Energy Conference” at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell delivered a keynote speech this morning on the topic of “the Outlook for Energy and Climate Legislation.” During his remarks, Chairman Dingell reiterated that his committee was working feverishly to complete drafting comprehensive cap-and-trade climate change legislation, noting the difficulty of crafting legislation that would garner sufficient support to be passed.

Earlier in the year, Chairman Dingell had floated “trial balloons” concerning the comparative merits of a “carbon tax” over a cap-and-trade system. At the EIA conference, the Chairman acknowledged that very little support had developed behind the carbon tax approach. Mr. Dingell declined to predict a timetable for passage of any legislation his committee develops.

Speaking after Chairman Dingell, Frank Macchiarola, minority staff director for the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, offered a less sanguine outlook for passage of legislation. While commending the progress made so far in this Congress, Mr. Macchiarola pointedly commented that “leaner” and “more economically sensible” climate legislation could be expected in the “next few years.”

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