Yesterday I commented with a slightly raised eyebrow at comments made by Steven Chu, President-elect Obama's choice to head DOE, on the future of coal. Dr. Chu's comments seemed to reflect a much more conciliatory tone toward coal as a key part of America's energy future. Today's raised eyebrow comes after reading some comments by Henery Waxman, (D-CA), new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as reported in the E&E ClimateWire:

As the coal industry awaits the first global warming hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today, many of its members are asking, "Which Henry Waxman will show up?"

Will it be the Beverly Hills liberal who pushed for a moratorium last year on new coal-fired generators unable to capture their greenhouse gas emissions? Or a moderate willing to shift policy gears in his new role as chairman of the committee that is expected to write the next climate bill in the House?

In recent days, the California Democrat has been sounding more like a centrist than a fossil-fuel fighter as he prepares to gavel the energy committee's first hearing on the topic today.

"Everything is on the table about coal," Waxman said on Capitol Hill yesterday.

That statement followed comments last week in which he said he expected coal to "play an important role in our overall sources of energy" in the future. Asked yesterday whether those comments signaled a move to the center, he said he wants to start the chairmanship with a clean slate and "doesn't have a position yet to change." . . .

Many environmental groups continue to express optimism about the path Waxman will take and argue that his seemingly coal-friendly comments won't change his advocacy for blocking new electricity generators that don't control carbon output.

"The bottom line is that Waxman always has been a strong champion against global warming," said Bruce Nilles, director of the national coal campaign at the Sierra Club. "Just because he says there is a future for coal doesn't mean he's suddenly opposed to a moratorium on power plants."

Yet some political scientists familiar with Waxman's style say he is one of the most politically shrewd politicians around, and that he recognizes the need to bring in members of the committee from coal states in order to get a climate bill passed. Among those Waxman will need is Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who wants to pump money into a CCS extra-governmental fund by charging utilities a fee.

Bruce Cain, director of the University of California's Washington Center, predicted that Waxman might follow the path of Vice President-elect Joe Biden on the coal issue. During the presidential campaign, Biden said there would be no new coal plants in America, but changed his rhetoric to match the Obama agenda after an industry outcry.

"People behave differently when in positions of leadership than when they're on the outside," Cain said of Waxman. "The guy knows how to play the political game and should never be confused with an airy-fairy idealist."