A powerful US congressman today released draft climate legislation that could serve as a foundation for the global warming debate in the US House of Representatives next year. (The Hill, Wall Street Journal, subscription required)

Michigan Democrat John Dingell and his committee have been working on the legislation since the Democrats took charge in 2007. Dingell is known as a long-time friend of the automobile industry and has drawn plenty of suspicion from environmental groups as a consequence. He is also the longest-serving member of the House and has a history of ushering major legislation, including the last major amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990, through Congress.

Dingell’s bill would create a cap-and-trade system to reduce covered US greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 80 percent by mid-century (representing an overall reduction of more than 70 percent). The overall model is similar to legislation taken up in the Senate but would require less action in the early years. The bill would reduce covered emissions 6 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, compared to a 19 percent reduction in the Senate legislation.

Advocates of climate regulation were cautiously optimistic (Environmental Defense Fund, Pew Center on Global Climate Change). They credited the committee with deploying a strong long-term strategy, but criticized the short-term reductions as well as proposals to preempt state regulations and curtail EPA regulatory authority.

Industry groups have been slower to respond, although Duke Energy – one of the electric utilities that has been most active on the issue – offered its qualified support for the effort, if not the bill itself.