Action in the House on the Energy Bill Today
20 April 2005
The House of Representatives began debate today on HR 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, fresh out of the House Energy Committee (earlier post).
Some of the amendments to the bill proposed on the floor today:
Amendment #3, to remove the provisions of the bill that will allow oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, defeated 231–200.
Amendment #4, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to increase fuel economy standards from today’s average of 25 mpg to 33 mpg over 10 years (by 2015) to reduce by 10% the gasoline the nation would otherwise consume by 2015, defeated 254–177.
Amendments #5 and #6 to direct the Administrator of the EPA to revise Federal vehicle fuel economy adjustment factors (related post), passed 346–85.
- Amendment #9 to require the Administration to take “voluntary, regulatory, and other actions” to reduce oil demand in the US by 1 million barrels per day from projected levels by 2013, defeated 262–166.
Amendment #11 to authorize a 3-year demonstration program for the production of ethanol in Hawaii to parallel the existing program for corn to show that the process can be applicable to cane sugar and can be replicated on larger scale, passed by verbal vote.
Debate resumes tomorrow.
Separately, Congressman Bartlett’s Special Order presentation to the House on Peak Oil was rescheduled to sometime next week.
I just can't get used to the inability of the US Congress to deal with the fact that we are running out of oil, that global warming is here today, that wars are started because of oil....It's like our government is living on another planet.
That's why I so much enjoy Green Car Congress. Everyday there is something positive on this site about what people and governments are doing around the world to make a difference. It's really uplifting and inspiring to read of companies and governments out there facing the facts of our changing world. Otherwise I'd think I must be the only person alive that thinks we need to be making a change. Thanks!
Posted by: john mcconnell | 21 April 2005 at 05:00 AM
John: I second your comments about GCC and your frustration over the Congress. I do a lot of energy research for my web site, The Cost of Energy (www.grinzo.com/energy), and most days the only good news on the energy front is here on GCC.
I think that we're headed for a period where car companies will be forced by the market to significantly increase fuel efficiency, and the U.S. companies won't fare nearly as well as our friends from Japan and South Korea. The Congress and the U.S. automakers can deny that the economic rules have changed (i.e. that "high" oil prices are here to stay) all they want, but that won't change reality.
Posted by: loudGizmo | 21 April 2005 at 06:41 AM