By Debra DeHaney-Howard
April 14, 2003

The House passed on April 11 an omnibus energy bill, H.R. 6, on a vote of 247-175. The energy bill is comprised of four pieces legislation: the comprehensive energy bill by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the $18.7 billion energy tax bill by the House Ways and Means Committee, a $31.7 billion energy research and development bill passed by the House Science Committee, and the House Rules Committee's legislation permitting drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Several major amendments were defeated. These included an amendment offered by Representative John Dingell (MI), ranking Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee that would have replaced the bill's electricity title with a set of provisions designed to enhance Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authority to protect consumers against energy market manipulation and market power abuses by utilities and marketers. This amendment was defeated by a vote of 193-237.

Last week, the House Rules Committee discarded two amendments offered by Congressmen Rick Boucher (VA) ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality that would have stripped language that gives FERC eminent domain authority to site new electric transmission lines if states failed to do so within one year. The Conference of Mayors along with a broad coalition of state and local government groups sent a letter to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee reiterating the coalitions strong opposition to this language.

Also defeated was a bipartisan amendment offered by Representatives Sherry Boehlert (NY) Chairman of the House Science Committee and Ed Markey (MA) on a 268-162 vote that would have increased Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFƒ) for cars and light trucks to 30 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2010, an increase from the current level of 24 mpg.

Additionally, an amendment offered by Representatives Ed Markey (MA) and Nancy Johnson (CT) to prohibit drilling in ANWR was defeated by a vote of 197-228. The Senate, which is to take up its comprehensive energy bill next month, struck from its fiscal 2004 budget resolution (S Con Res 23) by a vote of 52-48 language to open up ANWR for drilling.

The energy legislation calls for $18.7 billion over ten years for a variety of tax incentives, including tax credits for solar and wind power, energy efficient new homes, and oil and gas drilling. Notably absent are tax incentives for the purchase of hybrid vehicles. The legislation also provides $1.8 billion to promote development of hydrogen as a fuel for cars and electricity production and, requires refiners to use 5 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol as a gasoline additive by 2015. The bill also reauthorizes the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Energy Weatherization Assistance Program, and the Renewable Energy Production Incentive Program.