The release of clean energy legislation in the US Senate has been delayed because Senator Lindsey Graham withdrew his support at the eleventh hour. An inability to get assurance from the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that immigration reform would not be taken up in this congressional session led to Graham’s decision to walk away from the clean energy legislation. Clearly frustrated, Graham said “I’m working as earnestly as I can to craft climate and energy independence, clean air and jobs, and now we’re being told that we’re going to immigration.”

Graham said that immigration legislation “destroys the ability to do something on energy and climate.” But Reid believed this to be a false choice, insisting that the American people “expect us to do both [bills] and they will not accept the notion that trying to act on one is an excuse for not acting on the other.” Reid reaffirmed his commitment to “enact comprehensive clean energy legislation in this session of Congress.”

The multi-partisan nature of this bill, its singular focus on clean energy, and last year’s senate committee approval of similar measures in the Waxman-Markey bill all favourably position the Graham-Kerry-Lieberman clean energy framework. Neither Kerry nor Lieberman anticipate this to a permanent setback. The broad coalition of support they have gathered over the last several months is an encouraging sign that the legislation will make it to the floor yet. Indeed, Senator Lieberman said that he looks forward “to Senator Graham rejoining our efforts” once the immigration hurdle has been overcome.

By Jeff Beyer, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)