May 3 -- A wide-ranging energy bill including mandatory energy efficiency improvements, promotion of renewable fuels and funding for carbon sequestration research is on its way to the full Senate.
The Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the bipartisan legislation on a 20-3 vote, sending it to the full body for consideration.
"This legislation is a big step forward in three key areas to America´s energy future," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., energy committee chairman. "It will help dramatically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by requiring the more efficient use of energy and putting a much greater emphasis on the use of renewable, homegrown fuels. It also increases our investment in research on the capture of carbon, so we can cut back on the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming."
Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., the committee´s ranking member, highlighted the bill´s demand for increased use of biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol that could result in vehicles emitting less pollution by burning fuel made from waste and nonfood materials.
The legislation calls for reducing consumption of electricity and gasoline. It includes new efficiency requirements for appliances, which can be responsible for as much as two-thirds of a consumer´s electric bill. The new standards would save more than 50 billion kilowatt-hours per year in electricity, or enough to power 4.8 million typical American households, according to an analysis by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Using less electricity could decrease the demand for additional electricity and help hold down greenhouse gas emissions.
The standards also would save 17 trillion British thermal units of natural gas per year and more than 560 million gallons of water per day, according to estimates.
The bill would establish national goals for decreasing gasoline usage, beginning with a 20 percent savings target in 10 years, equivalent to more than 32 billion gallons per year. Targets would increase in subsequent years. Key to achieving the goals would be increasing the amount of renewable fuels produced from unconventional biomass feedstock beginning in 2016. The federal government would increase funding for bioenergy research and development by 50 percent to help boost production of the cleaner-burning fuels.
The bill also would require federal buildings to become more energy-efficient.
Other items of note in the bill include: $2.3 billion for research related to automotive batteries that could be used in lower-emission or emission-free hybrids or all electric vehicles, $60 million for Energy Department research to develop lighter weight materials for constructing cars, $15 million for advanced lighting technology that could replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs, and reauthorizing the Weatherization Assistance Program at $750 million.
The bill also would authorize research and development spending for carbon sequestration, with annual funding hitting a peak of $120 million in fiscal 2009.
The bill passed out of committee did not include a controversial measure favored by some Republicans and Democrats in coal-producing states that would include incentives for producing liquid transportation fuel from coal. The technology is controversial because of concerns about greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fuel
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