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.

July 11, 2005

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.

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