The Clinton administration will not propose privatizing the federal power marketing administrations in its upcoming budget, Deputy Energy Secretary Elizabeth Moler said Monday.
In a speech to the American Public Power Association, Moler said she was making the announcement to dispel rumors circulating in the electric utility community. An administration task force, led by former Rep. Butler Derrick, D-S.C., has been looking at the issue.
In addition, Moler said the administration will not try to implement the global climate change treaty without Senate ratification and without meaningful participation by developing nations. After the treaty was agreed upon last year in Kyoto, Japan, opponents said they feared the administration would try to put parts of the agreement into place even if the Senate did not act on it.
Moler also said the administration is working on a proposal to get early credit for industry cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Meanwhile, Moler repeated past comments that the administration position on electricity deregulation is not ready, but added that administration officials "do not want to sit on the sidelines in this debate in the Congress."
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