By Devin Henry and Timothy Cama - The Hill.

Hopes are fading that Congress can pass a broad energy bill before the year ends.

Leaders of energy committees in the House and Senate made it a top priority this session to pass the first major energy overhaul since 2007.

By setting their sights low and avoiding hot-button issues that could sink bipartisan action, they thought it was possible to get a bill through an often-dysfunctional Congress, even in an election year.