http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/22940/story.htm
Energy Bill Collapses, May Be Revived in 2004 USA: November 26, 2003 WASHINGTON - Despite pressure from the White House, Republican leaders were unwilling to drop lawsuit protection for oil companies from a $31 billion energy bill and it faces an even tougher fight amid next year's political campaigning, lobbyists and legislative aides said. The bill, which included lavish tax breaks, grants and funding for virtually every kind of energy production, was declared dead for this year by Senate Republicans. Intensive lobbying by the Bush administration on Monday failed to persuade House leaders to delete a provision that would shield oil companies from lawsuits for water contamination by MTBE, a gasoline additive. More than 1,500 U.S. cities say they face costly clean ups. Senate Democrats and moderate Republicans narrowly filibustered, or blocked, the energy bill on Friday because they opposed the MTBE lawsuit protection. They also criticized the more than $1 billion in funds earmarked to help MTBE makers switch to other businesses before the additive is banned. AN EXHAUSTED SENATE The collapse of the legislation came as an exhausted Senate hurried to finish work yesterday so it could adjourn for the Thanksgiving holiday. An aide to Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist said the bill may be revived in early 2004. "Although Sen. Frist remains committed to the legislation, we will be unable to bring it up again this year," said an aide to the senator. "We will work over the (congressional) recess to bring all sides to an agreement" before lawmakers return in January. But prospects for some kind of energy bill in 2004 are cloudy because presidential and congressional campaigning will be in full swing, lobbyists said. Both parties are less likely to be willing to compromise in an election year, they said. "It's a recipe for gridlock," said one energy industry lobbyist. Monte Shaw, spokesman for a pro-ethanol group, said his members would push for a stand-alone bill that would double U.S. consumption of corn-based ethanol by 2012. Ethanol is a rival gasoline additive to MTBE. It has broad political support in the Midwest as a way to boost farmers' income. TO MANDATE ETHANOL? "We will be looking for ways to move the fuels agreement," Shaw said, referring to a plan to mandate the use of ethanol and phase out MTBE, a suspected carcinogen. Another measure of the energy bill that could be revived is language to require electric reliability standards for the nation's patchwork transmission grid, lobbyists said. The reliability standards are seen as crucial to prevent a repeat of the August blackout that left some 50 million people in the dark in eight U.S. states and part of Canada. However, it remained unclear what will happen to the hundreds of other measures tucked in the 1,200-page energy bill. They ranged from $18 billion in loan guarantees to build an Alaskan natural gas pipeline to $1 billion in funding for an experimental nuclear power reactor in Idaho to $2 billion in tax-exempt bonds for an array of commercial buildings such as a Hooter's restaurant that promise to use energy-efficient materials. The energy bill's $31 billion price tag over 10 years included some $24 billion in tax breaks. Story by Julie Vorman REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
