May 2--TALLAHASSEE -- The Senate passed an energy bill 39-0 on Monday that creates an advisory commission to suggest energy policy and makes it easier to build power plants.

The bill doesn't mess with the governor's energy office, and it doesn't incur the wrath of Gov. Jeb Bush, who had vowed to veto the bill last week if it moved his energy office staff to the energy commission. The earlier bill threatened the governor's power to shape energy policy.

"It's a step in the right direction," said the governor's spokesman, Russell Schweiss. The Senate's energy bill (SB 888) creates an energy commission under Legislative Services that would research and recommend energy policy, such as ways to cut greenhouse emissions, which contribute to global warming.

The bill also cuts competitive bidding for nuclear power plants and allows power companies to pass on to their customers the preconstruction costs of building a nuclear plant many years before the plant is up and running.

The Senate passed the bill with no debate. Late last week, the Senate stripped the farm-to-fuel program from the bill, which would give companies grants and tax credits for producing biodiesel and ethanol fuel using Florida crops such as sugar cane. The farm-to- fuel program is still in the House bill.

The two bills have a few other differences. For example, the House creates an advisory energy council under the Department of Environmental Protection and also gives renewable energy tax credits.

House sponsor Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Delray Beach, said he was working to make the two similar and that it would come up on the floor in the next few days.