Energy bill passes Senate

The Senate recently passed by an 85-12 margin an Energy Policy Act that mandates the use of 8 billion gallons of ethanol in the U.S. fuel supply by 2012, provides tax incentives for alternative fuel vehicles, market-based solutions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and research into developing hydrogen cars.

Unlike the House’s version of the bill passed in April, the Senate does not provide a “safe harbor” for the makers of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), which has been determined to cause groundwater pollution.

No date has been scheduled for a conference on H.R. 6, but the White House stated it would like a final committee report on the President’s desk by the August recess. The House passed its bill by a 249-183 vote.