As the Senate continues to focus on health care, it's important to realize that ACES is still very much alive. The President promised action on health care, education, and energy this year and while health care is dominating the headlines, work on the energy bill is continuing in committee. Senators Kerry and Boxer, sponsors of the Senate version of the bill, have promised a full press conference when the revised version of the bill is unveiled in October. There's increasing doubt that the Senate and House versions can be reconciled in time for the U.N. conference in December, but progress has not halted in spite of the health care debate.

As if to remind everyone of that fact, a new coalition called Clean Energy Works launched an ad campaign yesterday, running this ad during Obama's primetime address to Congress. The group is a coalition of environmental, labor, veteran, and hunting and fishing advocacy groups, and has enough funding to run the ad for a week. It also plans to bring 100 veterans to Washington this week to rally Congress, and has held town halls and rallies in several states.

Their efforts come on top of mounting pressure from companies, including 12 large corporations that sent a letter to the Senate this week urging action on climate change legislation. This group includes Nike, Google, J&J, and Dell. The letter points to efforts made by the respective companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and declares that their efforts have been good for business as well as being good for the environment.

Finally, even as the Senate moves to adopt its version of ACES, the EPA continues to finalize its rulemaking for carbon emissions. As you might remember, the Supreme Court held a couple years ago in Massachusetts v. EPA that the EPA can regulate carbon as a pollutant. In response, the EPA issued a finding earlier this year that carbon is dangerous, laying the groundwork for regulation. Those regulations are being formulated now, so even if ACES doesn't pass, you can expect some form of carbon regulation. EPA prefers new legislation, however, as it expects strong litigation in response to any regulation it passes.