Key Senate energy panel post could be in play following midterms

摘要

The 2018 midterm election results could have a ripple effect on Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee dynamics, if Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, the panel's Democrat, takes the ranking slot at the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee opened up by the defeat of Senator Ben Nelson of Florida. The committee has had a bipartisan approach under Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski, Republican-Alaska, with Cantwell in the ranking slot, and that tradition may carry on. But coal-sector interests could get increased salience at the panel under one potential scenario. Cantwell so far has said she is undecided and that both committees have great things to work on. Commerce has jurisdiction over trade issues and companies important to Washington state, such S&P Global Platts is seeking feedback on a proposal to eliminate the deal count and volume thresholds used for producing North American day-ahead and weekend bilateral electricity indexes. Platts is also seeking feedback on changing the limit on transaction size.