Obama: Splitting energy, climate bills would be 'easy way out'

摘要

Washington—A day after opening the door for passage of an energy-only bill this year, US President Barack Obama appeared to dismiss that option Wednesday as an "easy way out" that would be less effective in deploying clean energy technologies than a combined energy and climate change package. Speaking to the Senate Democratic caucus at its annual retreat, the president told Democrats that without a price on carbon emissions, the US will fall behind both in the race to curb emissions and to develop new technologies that he said were the key to global competitiveness. "I continue to believe, and I'm not alone in this, that the country that figures out most rapidly new forms of energy and can commercialize new ideas is going to lead the 21st century," he said.