WV Senator Manchin could hold the key to climate agenda

From the Washington Post (paywall) The Energy 202, Dino Grandoni with Alexandra Ellerbeck

With the U.S. Senate split 50-50, Democrat Senator Joe Manchin III from West Virginia could be a critical vote on any climate legislation aimed at the coal industry. Increasing his sway, Sen. Manchin is slated to head the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Manchin will be looking for “deals forged through compromise,” saying, “I want to work with them and hear all different sides of it, from the environment to the industrial base.” Both conservation groups and the fossil fuel industry have positive views of Sen. Manchin, who earned an 86% environmental score from the League of Conservation Voters. Manchin may favor a climate proposal that includes carbon capture technology to allow coal- and natural gas-fired electricity generators to continue to operate, although he is skeptical about the current state of the technology. “The only thing I believe strongly is that, when the federal government sets standards that they want met, then there should be the technology to meet those standards,” he said.