Our very own Jon Powers had a great piece in The Hill on Friday that highlights the opportunity now before the Senate to pass a strong clean energy and climate bill that will put America back in control of our energy future and strengthen American national security.

I was with Jon and other veterans from across the country at the Clean Energy, Jobs, and Security Forum on Wednesday where we joined with leaders from the national security, agriculture, business, labor, and faith communities to discuss the need for legislation that will create a market solution to the problem of carbon pollution and reduce our dependence on oil from people who don’t like us.

As Jon wrote in his piece, we heard from top administration officials like Steven Chu and Carol Browner, as well as key Senators in the effort such as John Kerry, Debbie Stabenow, and Sherrod Brown.

But perhaps the greatest ovation came for Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has been unabashed in his support for strong clean energy legislation (and has come under fire from some in his party for doing so).

In pointed terms, Senator Graham spoke about how Senators from both parties need to come together on this issue.  He proudly proclaimed that “as a Republican, I believe clean air is a good thing.”  And he urged the audience to loudly express their support of clean energy legislation to their elected representatives in Washington.

Later that evening, President Obama echoed Senator Graham’s consensus-building tone in his first State of the Union address.

Clearly, there is a great deal of work to be done on this issue.  But if Pres. Obama and Sen. Graham’s comments last week on clean energy are any indication, there may still be a glimmer of bipartisanship in Washington.  And that spirit of bipartisanship may just get clean energy legislation across the finish line.

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