In an Environmental Finance article, Van Ness Feldman's Curt Rich commented on the possibility of an energy bill that includes a federal RPS and 'Green Bank,' if cap and trade legislation stalls in Congress this year.  He says,“The energy bill would be a good test run for negotiations down the road on climate to see if there is common ground on a bill that attracts both Democratic and Republican support. That’s going to be the hallmark going into the election and coming out of it.”

He goes on to say, “Apart from those differences [different funding levels and separate views on the Green Bank’s ideal relationship with the Department of Energy (DOE)] I think there is a clear consensus that the federal government is going to have a substantial role in providing financial support beyond grants to emerging energy technologies that are just being commercialized and that there is a need for a Green Bank.”