Thursday night, January 18, a historic event took place. The House of Representatives began the process of ending the long petroleum energy siege.
The House passed the “Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation (CLEAN) Act” by a vote of 264-163, which will repeal almost $14 billion in tax breaks for oil and natural gas companies and put that money toward renewable fuels and energy efficiency programs.
The final piece in House Speaker Pelosi’s “100-hour agenda,” she said, “It’s just a beginning. I promise to do everything in my power to achieve energy independence … and to stop global warming.”
Schwarzenegger Signs Low Carbon Fuel Standard
In Calfornia, Governor Schwarzenegger signed the Executive Order establishing the world’s first greenhouse gas standard for transportation fuels – the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
Because greenhouse gas emissions “pose a serious threat to the health of California’s citizens and the quality of the environment,” the Executive Order states, a statewide goal shall be established to reduce the carbon intensity of California’s transportation fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020.
“Reducing the carbon content of transportation fuels sold in California by just 10 percent means we will replace 20 percent of our gasoline consumption with lower-carbon fuels, more than triple the size of the state’s renewable fuels market, and add seven million alternative fuel vehicles to our roads,” he said.
Bill would extend solar tax credits
In other news, Congressmen Michael McNulty (D-NY) and Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced legislation, the “Securing America’s Energy Independence Act.” The bill would extend solar energy investment tax credits for homeowners and businesses through 2015. The credits are currently set to expire next year.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provided a 30% tax credit for solar systems purchased for both residential and business applications. However, these credits will expire after two years without legislative remedy, a term too short to encourage significant industry growth.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimates that a long-term credit extension would create 55,000 solar industry jobs by 2015 and encourage states to invest billions of dollars in renewable energy infrastructure.
Bill would create R&D for next-generation fueling infrastructure
Another piece of legislation introduced by House Committee on Science and Technology Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN), would create R&D programs to tackle infrastructure issues for the next generation of fuels.
H.R. 547, The Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act, directs the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to research and develop new technologies and methods such as fuel additives, blend stocks, and easier tank reconditioning methods that would allow retailers to use alternative fuels like E85 ethanol in existing infrastructure.
“If this country is serious about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we need to get serious about mobilizing the infrastructure necessary to distribute and dispense alternative fuels,” added Chairman Gordon.
H.R. 547 also directs DOE and NIST to develop an affordable, portable, quick, way to test the sulfur content of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel.
Summary of recent legislation
Other significant legistations that’s been introduced includes:
– a national renewable energy standard which would require the U.S. gets 25% of its energy supply from renewables by 2025.
– a bill to extent the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit for another five years, to the end of 2014.
– a Senate bill, the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, which would call for greater greenhouse gas reductions and R&D for renewable energy.
– Senate bill, The Alternative Energy Refueling Systems Act, would provide grants to gas station owners to help them install renewable fuel pumps.
– Senate bill, CAFE Standard Increase, would will raise Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards to 40 MPG by 2017.
Loading...