Conservation groups from around the nation celebrated the U.S. Senate's passage of a new energy bill in June. It mandates the first rise in auto fuel efficiency standards in nearly two decades, increasing the minimum required mileage to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The bill also calls for increased development and production of renewable fuels, and sets a goal of producing 36 billion gallons of alternative fuels by 2020.
But the legislation is far from perfect. The Senate was unable to pass an amendment that would have removed $32 billion in tax breaks and incentives from oil companies to fund the increased production of renewable fuels. A major proponent of the aid package for renewable fuels was U.S. Rep. Michael A. Arcuri [1], a Democrat who represents 10 counties in New York's 24th District.
Senators were also not able to agree on an amendment that would require all electric utilities to generate 15 percent of their supply from renewable sources like solar and wind power. U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner [2], a Democrat representing Brooklyn and Queens, announced his support for a similar initiative at a press conference at New York's City Hall.
Lastly, an amendment proposed by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer [3] -- which would have revamped building codes to make all new construction 30 percent more efficient in energy usage by 2012, and 50 percent more efficient by 2022 -- did not make its way into the final bill.
But conservation advocates still see hope for these innovative steps in the U.S. House, where the bill is still being debated and is expected to come up for a vote in early July. The House version of the bill passed the Energy and Commerce Committee on June 28. However, it passed without the proposed increase in mileage that the Senate mandated, as Chairman John Dingell led the fight to defeat the proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is seeking a compromise to keep the proposed increase in fuel efficiency in the bill, along with the proposals from Weiner and Schumer.