WASHINGTON, DC — After officially taking the reins as chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator James Jeffords (Independent-VT) said that global warming would be his first priority.

Jeffords, who left the Republican Party recently, a move that gave control of the Senate to the Democrats, stated that he would hold hearings in August on a proposed Clean Energy Act. The bill would require tougher carbon dioxide emission standards for coal-fired electric power plants. It would also provide incentives for the use of cleaner alternative energy sources.

Publication date: 07/09/2001