CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

As the U.S. Congress gropes its way toward a new energy policy, it’s creating unlikely alliances. The latest? The National Association of Manufacturers is lobbying senators to support tax-credits for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The NAM, the manufacturing industry’s trade group, has been a vocal opponent of other bills in Congress that would create a cap-and-trade scheme to limit emissions of greenhouse gases. It commissioned a much-criticized study arguing that the Lieberman-Warner climate bill would cripple U.S. industry.

Now, NAM says it’s all in favor of alternative energy and greater energy efficiency, two key planks of the amendment introduced by Sens. Maria Cantwell and John Ensign to a housing bill under consideration in the Senate. And not just passingly in favor: NAM says in a letter today to lawmakers that it will consider the vote on the amendment one of its “key manufacturing votes” this year, part of a scorecard that grades how industry-friendly members of Congress are. How do we know? To emphasize its point, NAM released its letter publicly.

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