Energy legislation in the Senate is set to resume on two parallel tracks, Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman announced today. First, the committee will focus attention on urgent infrastructure security needs, then return to full mark up of comprehensive and balanced energy legislation in the week of Oct. 14. “I am confident that in the coming weeks Congress and the Administration will come together to combine a thoughtful, forward-looking analysis of our current energy challenges with a willingness to take bold policy steps to address them,” Bingaman said. “Our national security, our economic prosperity and the jobs of millions of Americans are at stake.” A full committee hearing is scheduled on Tuesday, Oct. 9, to receive testimony on critical energy infrastructure security, including a proposal from the Department of the Interior to provide for the protection of dams, facilities and other resources under its jurisdiction. The hearing also will consider specific recommendations from the Department of Energy and from industry on ways to further strengthen the energy industry’s physical and cyber infrastructures from attacks, natural disasters and other emergencies. On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the committee will begin marking up critical infrastructure legislation. (If needed, a second day of mark-up will be held Oct. 11.) The committee’s goal is to have free-standing legislation ready for consideration right away, or as part of an appropriate fast-track legislative vehicle. Chairman Bingaman also announced that the committee will resume marking up comprehensive and balanced energy legislation in the week of Oct. 14, beginning with provisions that deal with electricity. After completion of that portion of the bill, the committee will move on to (in order) provisions that improve energy efficiency; strengthen domestic production of oil and gas; and, finally, general energy policy provisions. The chairman expects the committee to finish this mark-up in the next few weeks. # # #