Given the Senate’s Failures, What Should We Expect From Reid’s Energy Summit?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is holding his third annual National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas Sept. 7. But can Reid show environmentalists that he’s serious about tackling energy and climate change issues? After all, under his leadership, the passage of climate legislation this year has been written off as a pipe dream, and the passage of even a stripped-down oil spill and energy bill is still up in the air.

Having suffered a series of disappointments this year on energy and climate change, Democrats and environmentalists are a bit disillusioned with Reid and the rest of the Senate, to put it mildly. It remains unclear if the conference can provide a smidgen of hope. According to the agenda, much of the conference is going to focus on creating jobs and the state of clean energy in Nevada, where Reid is facing reelection. The conference will also focus on financing new renewable energy projects.

Speakers at the conference include: Reid, Center for American Progress President John Podesta, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue and senior Department of Energy adviser Matt Rogers.