Republicans will target U.S. EPA for reduction and will continue to promote their "all of the above" energy strategy when the GOP holds its 2012 convention in Tampa, Fla., next week, delegates revealed yesterday during a session about the Republican platform.

The Republican National Convention Committee on Resolutions met yesterday to debate amendments to parts of its official manifesto for next week's presidential nominating convention. The platform committee, as it is commonly known, is set to conclude its work today.

During its afternoon session, televised by C-SPAN from Tampa, delegates discussed the portion of the platform authored by its Energy, Agriculture and the Environment Subcommittee.

Although the RNC declined to provide copies of the platform before the amendment process is completed, platform committee Co-Chairman Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) read aloud subsections of the energy platform, including "a diversified American energy policy to achieve domestic energy independence" and listing areas such as coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy, agriculture and farm programs. In listing the subsections, he also said the Republican Party -- one "committed to conservation" -- would work toward "reining in the EPA" and "private stewardship of the environment." And he mentioned the "failure of the current administration" and "economic uncertainty."

Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), co-chairman of the Energy, Agriculture and the Environment Subcommittee, vowed that the GOP plan would "reverse this administration's policies" and stimulate the economy.

"We rein in a runaway EPA that's placing great uncertainty on our energy sector, as well as other sectors. We eliminate programs where the government is the venture capitalist for risky projects like Solyndra," Whitfield said, referring to the now-bankrupt California solar firm that received $535 million in federal funds under a Department of Energy loan guarantee program.

"We support farm programs that can be used by farmers to manage the extraordinary risk they encounter each year. We stop efforts of this administration to bankrupt the coal industry. We ensure policies to provide abundant and affordable food supply for the American people and for export to feed others and reduce our trade deficit. We balance economic development and private property rights with long-term conservation goals and environmental protection," said Whitfield, who leads the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power.

While the platform committee did not disclose specific details of many sections, delegates did describe some platform language during debate on a handful of amendments to the energy proposals.

Rhode Island delegate Barbara Ann Fenton, who initiated discussion on whether the GOP should support mine worker safety, read from the platform's section on coal: "We're developing new state-of-the-art coal-fired plants that will be low cost, environmentally responsible."

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley (R) read aloud from the same subsection: "We will end the EPA's war on coal and encourage the increased development in all regions of the nation's coal resources."

The platform committee ultimately agreed to add language supporting safe development of coal resources on a voice vote.

During the session, Fenton spurred more heated debate after she proposed amendment language governing domestic drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"A lot of us, especially in Rhode Island and these great ocean states that we have on the coast, are very, very much aware of the environmental impacts of certain accidents," Fenton said, referring to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. "If we are going to open up such precious natural resources and national parks for drilling, I feel very strongly that we have to put some wording in there that holds them to a very high ethical standard and encourages them to spend the extra money if they need to avoid certain wildlife areas."

Although Fenton's amendment failed to gain traction, former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), now an adviser to presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign and co-chairman at Mercury Public Affairs, suggested a similar proposal.

"It's simply noting that in fact this exploration should occur in accordance with applicable law, which does protect environmental safety and other concerns. I think we are all for that. I don't have a problem with making explicit what I agree was implicit in the draft to begin with," Talent said.

A handful of delegates raised objections to the amendment, with one arguing that it makes a "false assumption" that the drilling project would not be held to existing standards.

"Most of the people in this room and most of the people in America have never really seen what ANWR looks like," said Alaska delegate Debbie Joslin, who also addressed the amendment. "Although it's beautiful, it's nothing like the pictures you see. ... But we do feel as though somehow we're being set aside as though we're not as responsible as other states, and that's just not true."

The platform committee ultimately adopted a third version of the amendment on a 53-45 vote, added language to the platform's call for greater domestic energy production, and stated, "We support this development in accordance with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations."

The GOP panel also agreed to another amendment promoting the use of federal lands managed by the Forest Service for timber harvesting. That amendment passed on a voice vote.