This week, Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives will offer a compromise energy package (H.R. 6709) that could generate a huge investment in clean energy and allow some expanded drilling measures for offshore oil and gas.
The package, called the National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act, includes significant investment in clean energy through a Renewable Energy Standard, improved transit and green building measures, and an extension of clean energy tax credits. It also protects consumers through a crackdown on oil speculation and drilling royalty loopholes, and offers low-income energy assistance.
Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) wrote in an op-ed on TheHill.com that the bill would designate as much as $2.6 trillion over 10 years to the development of alternative energy sources. This funding, he says, would come from offshore oil and gas leasing royalties and revenue payments to the government.
Before the House adjourned for its August break, the bill had 24 Democratic sponsors and 24 Republican sponsors. It now has 130 total.
The Senate, reportedly, is working on a similar compromise energy bill, which would be reconciled with H.R. 6709 in conference.
"Every effort should be made to embrace its use of revenues from American oil and gas to pay for America’s alternative energy future, and to preserve its bipartisan approach," Ambercrombie wrote.
However, Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope said in a statement that Republicans in the House are beginning to indicate they will refuse to support the bill.
"They held Congress hostage and blocked measure after measure while gas prices soared. Now they want to stop yet another comprehensive energy bill that would deal with our energy crisis. This week, the Speaker will call their bluff to see if they really do want to vote on drilling as part of an energy package or whether they simply want to continue to use this as an election issue," he said.
Congressional aliies of Big Oil have already voted against energy solutions 61 times this year.
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