Chairman Domenici reiterated to reporters this morning his commitment to a firm but fair conference process. He made these remarks during a press availability following the 10 a.m. Senate Energy & full committee hearing on pending FERC and DOE nominations. Chairman Domenici told reporters he remains committed to having a conference report done by early October, but he wants the conference process to be as inclusive as possible. To that end, the staff of House and Senate conferees, both Republican and Democrat, met at 2 p.m. in Russell 328 to discuss the ideal procedure for moving forward on Tier II energy issues. (Issues that can be addressed by staff and don’t require substantial member involvement.) Approximately 50 staffers attended. The relevant House and Senate committees were represented by both majority and minority staff. Input was broad, substantial and valuable. The suggestions made by staff will inform the process moving forward.