Wyden holds cards close before taking Senate Energy chairmanship

Wyden also downplayed the viability of any new carbon tax, which President Barack Obama has all but ruled out of budget talks and most Republicans oppose. "It's pretty obvious, and you've seen it again this week in comments, that whether you are for a carbon tax or against it, you'd have to say this is going to be a big lift politically," he said.

Wyden said that he understands the intense political passions surrounding climate change and that he's looking to get past those concerns toward advancing the goal of a lower-carbon economy.