In Senate Shuffle, Landrieu Takes Over Energy & Natural Resources Committee

With Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) confirmed as the next US ambassador to China, there's about to be a reshuffling of leadership in the Senate Energy & Natural Resources committee - a key committee for the renewable energy and environmental community.

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), who replaces Baucus as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, says a top priority will be extending the slew of energy efficiency and renewable energy tax credits that were allowed to expire at the end of last year.

And who will take Wyden's place as Chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee? One of the few remaining "blue-dog" Democrats - Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

Landrieu, one of the few remaining "blue-dog" Democrats, is known for her bias toward the oil and gas industry - a fact of life for her constituents in Louisiana. She will be joined by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the top Republican on the committee who also tends to stand with fossil fuel interests.

A few key votes gives you an idea of Landrieu's stance:

• She voted to approve the Keystone XL pipeline
  
• She was one of 4 Democrats who voted to permanently strip the EPA of its authority to limit greenhouse gas emissions and veto the agency's scientific finding that climate change threatens public health and welfare.
  
• She was one of 4 Democrats to vote against eliminating fossil fuel subsidies
  
• She was one of 6 Democrats who urged Obama to give up on getting a cap-and-trade bill through the Senate in 2009, but that was because it was an election year

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