With little debate, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed by voice vote a bill to create the Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA), a new financing entity to distribute loans, loan guarantees, and other forms of credit to various energy technologies. The legislation was first brought before the committee in late May, but was not voted on at that time. The proposed CEDA expands the role of the existing Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program, which has been riddled with problems since its creation in the 2005 Energy Bill.

The vote took place at this morning’s business meeting. The committee made quick time— breezing through 23 bills, from public lands to electric vehicles. Like the other items before the committee, CEDA had little discussion. Before voting on the CEDA legislation there was brief mention of a joint committee staff amendment to make changes to the version considered in May. Senator Murkowski (R-AK) praised these changes which reportedly includes the deletion of an exemption to a portion of the Federal Credit Reform Act. While these changes may make CEDA less egregious, creating a new entity to house the DOE's Title XVII Loan Guarantee program does little to address the taxpayer concerns with the existing program or ensure taxpayers will not be on the hook for billions more.

Any way we slice it, CEDA is a bad deal for taxpayers –especially in these fiscal times. With its expansive charge and unclear costs this bill jeopardizes far too much for taxpayers.

Of the Senators present, eight voted in favor of CEDA's passage and four voted against it. Senators voting yes on the bill include Chairman Bingaman (D-NM), Ranking Member Murkowski (R-AK), Senators Wyden (D-OR), Shaheen (D-NH), Sanders (I-VT), Landrieu (D-LA), Udall (D-CO), Franken (D-MN) and those voting no include Senators Barasso (R-WY), Coats (R-IN), Hoeven (R-ND), Portman (R-OH).