Yesterday, The Energy Collective hosted a unique, in-depth discussion about the Senate climate and energy bill that Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman had planned to release on April 26, but has been on-hold, with upheaval from Senator Graham's defection on April 24 over immigration reform. 

LISTEN TO THE WEBCAST AUDIO HERE

The legislation was sent to the EPA for economic analysis on April 28 and may be released publicly without Senator Graham in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, the devastating BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico has added a new dimension to the politics, impacting negotiations on the Hill and strengthening opposition to offshore drilling provisions.

Will the legislation be able to move forward?  With or without Graham? Can Obama get a bill this year?   Listen to what our panelists had to say about the fate of the climate bill.  Our discussion featured: 

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-T) chairs the Senate Republican Conference and serves on committees overseeing education, clean air, highways, science, appropriations and the Tennessee Valley Authority. He is the only Tennessean ever popularly elected both governor and U.S. Senator. Sen. Alexander has been U.S. Education Secretary, University of Tennessee president, and professor at Harvard 's School of Government. He chaired the National Governors’ Association and President Reagan's Commission on Americans Outdoors. Recently, he is the author of Going to War in Sailboats: Why Nuclear Power Beats Windmills for America’s Green Energy Future.

Marc Gunther is a veteran journalist, speaker, writer and consultant whose focus is business and sustainability. Marc is a contributing editor at FORTUNE magazine, a senior writer at Greenbiz.com, a lead blogger at The Energy Collective. He's also a husband and father, a lover of the outdoors and a marathon runner. Marc is the author or co-author of four books, including Faith and Fortune: How Compassionate Capitalism is Transforming American Business. He's a graduate of Yale who lives in Bethesda, MD.

Jesse Jenkins is Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute, and is one of the country's leading energy and climate policy analysts and advocates. Jesse has written for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, Baltimore Sun, Yale Environment 360, Grist.org, and HuffingtonPost.com, and his published works on energy policy have been cited by many more. He is founder and chief editor of WattHead - Energy News and Commentary and a featured writer at the Energy Collective. Jesse goes by @JesseJenkins on Twitter.                                                    

LISTEN TO THE WEBCAST AUDIO HERE