CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller wants Congress to halt work - at least for now - on any comprehensive legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster alternative energy sources that would help curb global warming.

The West Virginia Democrat said lawmakers should focus instead on funneling more government money to developing "clean coal" technologies and tackling the oil drilling disaster in the Gulf.

"We need to set aside far-reaching climate proposals and work right now on energy legislation that protects our economy, protects West Virginia and improves our environment," Rockefeller said.

Rockefeller made his comments in a prepared statement issued Thursday, after a meeting of Senate Democrats to discuss energy legislation.

Because of Rockefeller's position as chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and as a longtime member of the Senate Finance Committee, his opposition toward moving a major climate change bill could be a big factor in how lawmakers proceed.

Rockefeller made his statements a week after he was one of only two Democrats from a major coal state to support a failed effort in the Senate to overturn a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finding that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and welfare.

Last month, three new studies by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the science supporting action on climate change is strong, and that the nation should act right away to reduce emissions and develop plans to deal with some inevitable impacts of global warming.

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and some other coal and business groups in the state have vigorously opposed any federal action on greenhouse gas emissions. But last year, American Electric Power supported a House-passed bill to mandate greenhouse gas reductions. The United Mine Workers union did not support the legislation, but said the bill dedicated a "remarkable" amount of money to promoting coal and ensured "the future of coal will be intact."

During the Bush administration, when the White House opposed action on global warming, Rockefeller in 2003 voted in favor of comprehensive climate change legislation authored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.

"Greenhouse emissions are causing real problems, and this administration has refused to deal with that reality," Rockefeller said at the time. "Climate change is a global problem, and while I would prefer a remedy that included all the countries of the world, I believe the United States has an obligation to be a participant in the solution."

President Obama repeatedly has called for Congress to pass a broad-reaching bill to cap greenhouse emissions and encourage cleaner sources of energy, while also pumping money and other government support into clean coal.

Over the past two years, though, Rockefeller has opposed Senate versions of a climate change bill. He has said they included emissions cuts that were too drastic too soon and did not provide enough money to perfect and deploy technology to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants.

Coal plants account for a third of the nation's greenhouse emissions. While coal supporters and many scientists believe carbon capture technology can be a part of the solution, there are major questions about the cost, scale and feasibility of equipment that would need to be installed on power plants around the world.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a worldwide group of scientific experts, concluded in 2007 that carbon capture and storage, or CCS, might not make "important contributions" to climate change mitigation until after 2030.

Rockefeller said he wants Congress to make it a priority to consider a bill he is working on with Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, "to advance clean coal technology through carbon capture and storage."

Also, Rockefeller said he wants the Senate to move quickly to take up legislation he authored to delay any EPA action on greenhouse emissions from large, stationary sources like power plants. And, he said he would hold hearings in his Commerce Committee on legislation to "fix the oil spill liability laws and help coastal communities and waterways."

"Our nation continues to face tough economic times, a serious need for new energy technologies, and a catastrophic oil spill," Rockefeller said. "If -- and only if -- we keep our eye on the ball and keep the focus on the needs of the people and the economic viability of our communities, I think we can move forward with legislation that makes a real difference.

"But if we get sidetracked by a bitter fight over more extreme proposals that are little understood and could hurt our economy, especially in energy-intensive states like West Virginia, then we could end up with nothing."

Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kw...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1702.