E2-Wire

Upton plans talks with Senate counterpart Bingaman to find ‘common ground’

by Ben Geman - 02/07/11 9:51 PM ET

Upton didn’t provide details on areas of potential cooperation, but noted that “He [Bingaman] is a very agreeable guy. We have had a decent relationship. I don’t expect that to change.”

Bingaman has broken with liberal Democrats on some issues, such as his support for wider offshore drilling, a view that Upton shares.

But the prospects for bipartisan cooperation on energy in this Congress remain uncertain.

And Bingaman – albeit with some skepticism – plans to work with the White House on President Obama’s proposal for a “clean energy standard” for utilities, a concept that Upton criticized Monday.

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