EPA HQ in DC

Environmental groups are lauding EPA administrator Lisa Jackson’s recent declaration that greenhouse gas emissions pose a public health threat, and in Colorado, the natural gas industry is nervously eyeing the federal agency’s move to review how it regulates emissions from drilling and production operations.

The Obama administration has made it clear it would rather legislate than regulate – wary no doubt of the O&G industry’s proclivity to litigate – but getting a climate change bill out of the Senate that comes close to the House version will be tough.

There was some movement late last week with the tri-partisan plan floated by Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass), co-sponsor of Boxer-Kerry, Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), but it was viewed by some critics are short on specifics and long on posturing to show Copenhagen the Senate is serious. Mostly it differed from the House bill by promising more breaks for coal, nuclear and offshore drilling.

Developing nations seemed less than impressed Monday, threatening to walk out on Copenhagen unless wealthier nations producing the most greenhouse gas emissions make more substantive concessions. This despite energy secretary Steven Chu’s announcement that industrialized nations will commit to spending $350 million over five years ($85 million from the U.S.) to increase access to clean energy technology in the developing world.

Meanwhile, Danish police continue to crack down on massive protests estimated at up to 60,000 strong on Saturday.

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The administration had yet to commit to even attending the Dec. 7-18 conference, let alone coming with a concrete emissions reduction target, but now, according to the Times, Obama will deliver a speech there on Dec. 9 on his way to Oslo, Norway, to accept the Nobel Peace Prize the next day.

The administration had been reluctant to over-commit on emissions before the Senate debated its version of a House-passed climate change bill on the full floor. But failing to provide some U.S. direction could have torpedoed any substantial agreement coming out of Copenhagen, where 190 nations will converge to lay the groundwork for a sweeping climate change deal.

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