Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Representative Henry Waxman said he is “determined” to pass a climate-protection bill this year in the House Energy and Commerce Committee he heads.

The California Democrat, who has sponsored legislation that would ban conventional coal plants that don’t capture carbon- dioxide emissions, said he will work to persuade fellow committee members to endorse the bill to stem the release of heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming.

‘It’s my hope that we will develop a consensus bill that will have very broad support including bipartisan support,” Waxman told reporters yesterday. “I think we are going to get a bill out” for consideration by the U.S. House.

Democrats in both chambers of Congress have said legislation to address global warming is a priority. There is no consensus on how the government and consumers would finance the needed investments in renewable energy and other projects to trim greenhouse-gas emissions during a recession.

Waxman, who defeated the former energy committee Chairman John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, in a caucus vote in November, didn’t speculate on whether the bill would pass the full House or the Senate. He does have support from Representative Edward Markey.

“We know that President Obama wants global warming and energy policy at the top of his priority list, so our goal will be to meet the expectations which he has for our country to be a leader on climate change and energy policy,” Markey, the chairman of the energy and environment subcommittee, told reporters.

To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Whitten in Washington at dwhitten2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 9, 2009 12:41 EST