Not surprisingly, associations representing the renewable energy and fossil fuel industries had very different takes on a bill recently introduced by U.S. Senate Democrats to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

The energy bill would require a reduction of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent each year until 2025, the New York Times reported. The newspaper noted the legislation has no chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Senate but instead was largely a symbolic act by Democrats to show support of President Barack Obama's climate change policies. http://nyti.ms/1VapIeX

Renewable energy groups praised the bill, given that their industries would have the most to gain if stricter greenhouse gas limits were enacted.

"By providing long-term, steady federal tax and energy policy, this legislation provides the stability that businesses in the solar industry need to grow - adding tens of thousands of new, well-paying solar jobs across the country, which today includes more than 174,000 Americans," Solar Energy Industries Association CEO Rhone Resch said.

American Wind Energy Association CEO Tom Kiernan thanks lawmakers "for putting forward a policy framework to provide domestic energy producers with greater stability so businesses can invest and bring costs down even further." However, he also urged them to continue tax incentives for providing clean energy.

The Democrats' political gesturing did not amuse fossil fuel industry groups. Louis Finkel, executive vice president at the American Petroleum Institute, said the plan they put forward "would threaten America's energy revolution and harm consumers."

"Maintaining a world-leading economy is simply not possible without using fossil fuels," he said. "The Energy Information Administration estimates that fossil fuels will account for 80 percent of U.S. energy consumption though 2040."

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity called the legislation "a poor attempt to garner attention."

"Senate Democrats continue to demonstrate just how out of touch they are with their constituents' priorities," said Laura Sheehan, senior vice president of ACCCE. "Instead of putting their basic pocketbook issues first, these senators are focused on pursuing unworkable energy plans that will only result in higher energy costs, fewer jobs and a stagnant economy—that's a no win."

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