Hill's Energy Battle Has Barely Begun (USN&WR)

[jpak]

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070627/27energy.htm

The Senate's passage of an energy bill last week gave environmentalists and consumer groups something to crow about, notably the first new fuel efficiency standards for automobiles since 1975.

The real energy battle, however, has yet to be fought.

That comes when Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate put forth plans to transform a largely voluntary effort against global warming into a mandatory emissions reductions scheme across all sectors of the economy. By all accounts, that legislation, which may appear on the floor of the House or the Senate as early as September, will trigger perhaps the biggest battle royal over environment and energy issues Congress has seen since the Clean Air Act of 1970. With slim majorities in both chambers, Democrats will need every vote. And passage will require the same kind of bipartisan compromise that made fuel efficiency standards possible.

In the fight over Corporate Average Fuel Economy, Senate Republican Ted Stevens and Democrat Dianne Feinstein came together to repair the crumbling energy initiative at a time when many thought it was over. Their plan salvaged the fuel economy increase to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 but erased the 4 percent annual increases after that date. It passed by a vote voice to the surprise of nearly everyone.

<more>