Matheson: Energy bill would take U.S. in wrong direction

Elements of the climate change bill before Congress could treat different areas of the country unfairly, and result in higher costs nationwide, a top Blue Dog Democrat on energy issues said Friday.

“I think it will greatly reduce the ability to hedge risk, and that means higher costs for consumers on all commodities,” Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) said in an interview. “The market-related language, which wasn’t a top-line issue on this bill, has far-reaching implications that I think would really be going in the wrong direction.”

Matheson said that some elements of the bill could also enrich some areas of the country at the expense of others.

“We’re talking about one national standard for renewable energy production,” he said. “Well, some parts of the country are going to have a better ability to achieve that standard, and there are penalties if you don’t achieve it.”

While Matheson said he believes climate change is real and must be dealt with, “the devil is in the details.”