Emergency legislation designed to provide relief to the troubled California wholesale energy markets could get consideration by the full House Energy and Commerce Committee as early as next week, a Capitol Hill staffer told NGI yesterday.

The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on energy and air quality last week voted 17-13 to forward the bill, “The Electricity Emergency Relief Act,” to the full panel (see Daily GPI, May 11). The bill is sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX).

Barton spokeswoman Samantha Jordan said that a markup on the measure by the full House Energy and Commerce Committee is “probably more likely than not” to occur next week.

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