I try not to watch a lot of television, but last Tuesday I made sure to be in front of the TV and it wasn’t only because it was Game 6 between two historic NBA rivals, the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers. As a solar installer, I wanted to see if the Presidential address concerning the BP Oil Disaster would talk about any specific energy legislation. Sadly, I was let down.

Two very important backers of an energy bill, Al Gore and John Kerry, thought this would also be an appropriate venue to also about moving away from fossil fuels once and for all and towards cleaner sources of fuel, like solar and wind. The president made this correlation in his speech, but I think he could have pushed the issue farther. There were no specific actions he called out and it didn’t seem like he had a cohesive plan. I was waiting for that big moment, but I think his words just fell short.

Republican critics, including Mitch McConnell, did speculate before the speech that the President would exploit the crisis to push his own agenda instead of sympathizing with those in the Gulf being affected by the disaster. I think this may be one of the reasons why Obama may have pulled his message back, but this could also backfire. He may run into the same problems he did with healthcare reform where the opposing parties were stalemate on legislation for months. It’s going to be a challenge, but the President needs to demonstrate leadership on this issue to get the 60 votes to pass through the senate.

Today, the President is taking the first steps in taking action against climate change. Senators from both parties will be invited to discuss their thoughts on how to approach the issue. Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Richard Lugar and Lisa Murkowski are all GOP representatives that have introduced energy legislation. The group will also include Democratic Senators John Kerry, Jeff Bingaman, Barbara Boxer, and Maria Cantawell as well as Independent Party Senator Joe Lieberman.

Senators Kerry and Lieberman’s cap-and-trade bill, called the American Power Act, is the most prominent energy proposal. Under this system, caps would be determined on total pollution permitted. Credits would be issued to those companies that are under the cap and these may be traded with companies that are over their cap for a fee. Many opponents call this a carbon tax, but that’s not totally accurate. A version of cap and trade was passed through the House last year, but didn’t make it through the Senate. I think there is a huge risk that the American Power Actwould not be supported even by the House this year because of concerns from taxpayers of an additional “tax.” In reality, 82% of the revenue generated from the Kerry-Lieberman proposal would be allocated back to consumers.

My opinion is that a “Climate Bill Lite” will get approved that will include elevated energy efficiency standards, increased funds to Research and development, and some incentives to reduce fossil fuel emissions and promote renewable energy. Will it get approved by the end of the year? That’s a tough one, but I say a very optimistic maybe. I think there’s a lot on the President’s plate already with the economy, the BP oil disaster, Afghanistan, Iraq, and overhauling the financial system. I hope he can fit a side of energy reform.