Hill Heat: Energy Bill ChecklistScience Policy Legislation Actiontag:hillheat.org,2005:TypoTypo2013-10-06T02:00:57-04:00Brad Johnsonurn:uuid:675c8855-ca97-4ab6-86af-c4cb99168a3a2007-06-18T09:23:00-04:002013-10-06T02:00:57-04:00Energy Bill Checklist<p><i>Crossposted at <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/22/161114/966">Daily Kos</a>.</i></p>
<p>Last week I <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/14/16524/1776">diaried</a> on the key battles in the Senate energy bill, the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (SA 1502):</p>
<ul>
<li><b>No</b> on Coal-to-Liquid</li>
<li><b>No</b> on restricting <span class="caps">EPA</span> or state regulation of motor vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases</li>
<li><b>No</b> on diluting definition of biofuels</li>
<li><b>No</b> on changing “renewable” to “alternative” in legislation</li>
<li><b>No</b> on offshore drilling</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on strong <span class="caps">CAFE</span> standards (no on weakening further)</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on price-gouging regulation (the right-wingers are fighting this hard)</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on national Renewable Portfolio Standard of 15% by 2015, 20% by 2020 (if we’re lucky, we’ll get legislation for 15% by 2020)</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on incentives for distributed generation (aka cogeneration, net metering, electranet) at the commercial and residential level</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on support for energy efficiency, especially</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on funding of The Weatherization Assistance Program</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on funding renewable energy by removing some oil subsidies</li>
</ul>
<p>So what were the results?</p><p><i>Crossposted at <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/22/161114/966">Daily Kos</a>.</i></p>
<p>Last week I <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/6/14/16524/1776">diaried</a> on the key battles in the Senate energy bill, the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (SA 1502):</p>
<ul>
<li><b>No</b> on Coal-to-Liquid</li>
<li><b>No</b> on restricting <span class="caps">EPA</span> or state regulation of motor vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases</li>
<li><b>No</b> on diluting definition of biofuels</li>
<li><b>No</b> on changing “renewable” to “alternative” in legislation</li>
<li><b>No</b> on offshore drilling</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on strong <span class="caps">CAFE</span> standards (no on weakening further)</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on price-gouging regulation (the right-wingers are fighting this hard)</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on national Renewable Portfolio Standard of 15% by 2015, 20% by 2020 (if we’re lucky, we’ll get legislation for 15% by 2020)</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on incentives for distributed generation (aka cogeneration, net metering, electranet) at the commercial and residential level</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on support for energy efficiency, especially</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on funding of The Weatherization Assistance Program</li>
<li><b>Yes</b> on funding renewable energy by removing some oil subsidies</li>
</ul>
<p>So what were the results?</p>
<p>Here are the issues:</p>
<table>
<tr><td align="center"><b><span class="caps">ISSUE</span></b></td><td align="center"><b><span class="caps">RESULT</span></b></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>No</b> on Coal-to-Liquid</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10> (Tester amdt. <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00214">S.AMDT.1614</a> rejected 33-61, Bunning amdt. <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00213">S.AMDT 1628</a> rejected 39-55)</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc"><td><b>No</b> on restricting <span class="caps">EPA</span> or state regulation of motor vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>No</b> on diluting definition of biofuels</td><td bgcolor="#ffcccc"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/22/30027046_9c046b1148_t.jpg" height="10"> (Kyl amdt. <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00221">S.AMDT.1800</a> rejected 45-49)</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc"><td><b>No</b> on changing “renewable” to “alternative” in legislation</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>No</b> on offshore drilling</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc"><td><b>Yes</b> on strong <span class="caps">CAFE</span> standards (no on weakening further)</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10> (Pryor-Bond-Levin-Stabenow amdt. <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SP01711:">S.AMDT. 1711</a> not considered)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Yes</b> on price-gouging regulation (the right-wingers are fighting this hard)</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10> (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r110:FLD001:S07489-S07490">Title VI of S.AMDT.1502</a>)</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc"><td><b>Yes</b> on national Renewable Portfolio Standard of 15% by 2015, 20% by 2020</td><td bgcolor="#ffcccc"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/22/30027046_9c046b1148_t.jpg" height="10"> (Bingaman amdt. <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SP01537:">S.AMDT.1537</a> withdrawn under filibuster threat)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Yes</b> on incentives for distributed generation (aka cogeneration, net metering, electranet) at the commercial and residential level</td><td bgcolor="#ffcccc"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/22/30027046_9c046b1148_t.jpg" height="10"> (issue held for next round of energy legislation)</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc"><td><b>Yes</b> on major increase in funding of The Weatherization Assistance Program (which Bush is trying to slash)</td><td bgcolor="#ccffcc"><img src="http://www.flickr.com/images/icon_confirm.jpg" height=10> (<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r110:FLD001:S07477">Title II, Subtitle F of S.AMDT.1502</a>)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Yes</b> on funding renewable energy by removing some subsidies to oil industry</td><td bgcolor="#ffcccc"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/22/30027046_9c046b1148_t.jpg" height="10"> (Baucus amdt. <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00223">S.AMDT.1704</a> filibustered 57-36)</td></tr></table>
The caveats to the table above include:
<ul>
<li>while the <span class="caps">CAFE</span> standards are being increased, they are certainly not aggressive increases. Still, a lot better than the zero action the Bush administration and auto industry wanted.</li>
<li>the increase to the Weatherization Assistance program is about 7%, instead of the 25% increase which would have had optimal results. Still, a lot better than the zeroing out that Bush wanted.</li>
</ul>