WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate's top Democrat on Thursday said he will seek a vote in coming weeks on an energy bill that could mandate more use of renewable fuels like ethanol, make federally owned buildings more efficient and require utilities to sell green power.
Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate's Majority Leader, said he wants the chamber to vote on a bill before it leaves for its Memorial Day recess at the end of May.
"I want to do something this work period on energy," he told reporters in his office. "We are going to try to move in a direction to do some things to try to conserve."
Reid also said he will soon call together Democrats to chart a course to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change legislation, which could come in the form of several bills, would be handled separately from the energy package, Reid said.
Reid said he wants to bring together prominent U.S. Democrats, including the chairmen of the energy and environment panels -- Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Sen. Barbara Boxer, respectively, as well as other party members. Bingaman and Boxer are backing separate proposals.
Near-term energy legislation could include Boxer's plan to make federal buildings more energy-efficient, as well as proposals by Bingaman to boost U.S. use of biofuels like ethanol and require utilities to sell electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar, he said.
