“The U.S. is the only major producer and user of renewable energy that doesn’t have an RES of some type at the national level. In the meantime, China, Germany and other countries march ahead in the global competition for clean energy business.”

By David A. Hill

Clean energy stakeholders expressed unanimous disappointment in the scaled-down energy bill put forth in text on Tuesday by Majority Leader, Harry Reid, especially the lack of a national renewable energy standard (RES) as part of the proposed legislation. The Senate Dems’ capitulation left the party’s House members disappointed and angry. Just a few weeks ago it was thought the concept of a national RES had bipartisan support in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, because it appeared more acceptable to moderates than a cap-and- trade plan.

That was a mirage, apparently, as Majority Leader Reid conceded over the weekend he didn’t have the votes even for that.

Yet there is no guarantee that even the modest proposal, which basically addresses oil spill technologies and energy efficiency measures, can pass before lawmakers leave for summer recess in a little more than one week. The lack of RES progress shows the majority party simply don’t have the stomach for another major legislative battle this year after the healthcare marathon. Opposition from lawmakers representing fossil-fuels intensive states remains a huge obstacle. Certainly Wyo Senator Barasso would likely be a “no” vote if the measure ever gets to a full vote.

“We are extremely disappointed that a national electricity standard is not part of the proposed bill,” Elizabeth Salerno of the American Wind Energy Association told me a regional wind conference on Wednesday.

“The U.S. is the only major producer and user of renewable energy that doesn’t have an RES at the national level. In the meantime, China, Germany and other countries march ahead in the global competition for clean energy business.”

Salerno said she and her organization were still holding out fading hope that an amendment could be added before final debate on the bill, and were contacting representatives in an attempt to make that happen. But Senator Reid said there just wasn’t enought time for that to happen.

“If nothing happens this year, then next year the probability of passing an RES drops with more Republicans likely in Congress, and 2012 is an election year, so a major energy bill would be doubtful,” added Salerno.

Earlier this month Democrats thought they could gain some Republican support around a proposal to limit greenhouse gases only from utilities, which represent about 40 percent of total emissions.

But even that proposal collapsed last week.

The current scaled down bill eliminates a $75 million cap on liability for spill cleanup and beefs up federal research on new cleanup technologies — measures aimed at addressing public anger from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. It also alloates $5 billion to encourage homeowners to make efficiency upgrades and creates new incentives to encourage the nation’s commercial truck fleets to operate on natural gas.

Not exactly breakthrough legislation.

Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., who last week circulated a letter pushing for a strong RES in the spill bill, said Tuesday there is no better than a 50-50 chance that will happen. That was yesterday. Those odds appear even longer today.

Udall said he still believed Congress might try to revive a comprehensive climate bill this year, perhaps in a lame- duck session after the November elections.

He did tell reporters that the Dem leaders made strategic mistakes in the Senate, the biggest of which was the body’s failure to tackle the energy issue ahead of what turned out to be a time-consuming and monumental fight over health care reform.

In addition, the odds for passing a national RES as part of more comprehensive climate legislation would be brighter if the economy were better.

“I think if we were creating 300,000 to 400,000 jobs a month, there would be a lot more support for a comprehensive energy bill with a price on carbon,” he said. “A lot of people are feeling cautious and worried, and on some level it’s very understandable.”