Under climate bill, states to have more say on drilling

“The path to progress has been long,’’ Kerry said at a packed press conference where he was joined by the bill’s co-author, Senator Joe Lieberman, independent of Connecticut. “But despite Washington conventional wisdom, we are closer than we’ve ever been to a breakthrough.’’

“This isn’t a choice,’’ the Massachusetts Democrat added. “It’s a necessity, and we’re going to get it done this year.’’

Kerry was surrounded by executives of such utility groups as Duke Energy and the Edison Electric Institute and leaders of such environmental groups as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Wilderness Society. Notably missing were any executives representing the oil industry.

The bill aims to reduce reliance on foreign oil while putting a price on carbon emissions and providing billions of dollars in incentives for industry to drastically cut greenhouse gases.

In an acknowledgment of the mounting anger over the spill in the Gulf of Mexico — and in a bid to draw more support from coastal Democrats — Kerry and Lieberman altered the bill to give states more say over offshore drilling. States would be allowed to veto plans for drilling within 75 miles of their shores. In addition, they could veto plans for drilling off neighboring states if they can demonstrate significant impacts.

Kerry mentioned the problem in the Gulf in his speech. “This is a bill for energy independence after a devastating oil spill, a bill to hold polluters accountable, a bill for billions of dollars to create the next generation of jobs, and a bill to end America’s addiction to foreign oil,’’ Kerry said, calling stakes “sky high.’’

Still, the key for Kerry and Lieberman to succeed will be persuading Republicans to sign on. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, had spent months helping to craft the proposal, only to back away several weeks ago over opposition to an unrelated immigration overhaul. Graham released a statement yesterday that, while generally supportive, suggested he thought the chances of passage this year were thin.

“The problems created by the historic oil spill in the gulf, along with the uncertainty of immigration politics, have made it extremely difficult for transformational legislation in the area of energy and climate to garner bipartisan support at this time,’’ Graham said.

President Obama disagreed, saying now is the time to get to work on the issue. “Americans know what’s at stake by continuing our dependence on fossil fuels,’’ he said yesterday. “But the challenges we face underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation’s energy policies. For too long, Washington has kicked this challenge to the next generation. This time, the status quo is no longer acceptable to Americans.’’

Later, in a briefing with reporters, Kerry and Lieberman said they believe the bill could come to the Senate floor in late June or early July. They said they thought there were more than 60 senators who could be persuaded to vote for the bill, including Senator Scott Brown, the newly elected Bay State Republican.

After giving members a chance to review the legislation, Kerry and Lieberman are planning a more concerted push over the next few weeks.

Representative Edward J. Markey, the co-author of a climate bill the House approved last year, praised the legislation released today.

“The time to act is now,’’ Markey said. “We cannot wait. China is not waiting. Europe is not waiting. And the health of our economy and our environment hangs in the balance. Working with the Senate and the Obama administration, this will be the year that we finally create a lasting clean energy future for our country.’’

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.