House Approves Offshore Drilling, Extends Clean Energy Tax Credits
Following months of debate and squabbling, the House of Representatives just passed a bill that could open America’s coasts to offshore drilling, as well as extend the tax credits for clean energy and offer other incentives for clean power and green transportation. Passing 236 to 189 in a late night vote the ‘Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act,’ or HR 6899, allows for drilling 100 miles offshore, or 50 miles if states would allow it. The bill also calls for repealing tax breaks for big oil, and using those funds to create new credits for plug-in hybrid vehicles, energy efficiency programs and clean coal.
Republicans are already crying foul because the measure was only unveiled very recently, giving the opposition barely a day to review the proposed legislation and no opportunity for input. Additionally, the White House and House Reps say that the bill also stifles offshore drilling by limiting it to 50 miles off the coast, should states allow, which critics say is unlikely since the bill doesn’t let the states collect oil lease royalty revenue.
Further ruffling Republican feathers, the bill also creates a federal renewable portfolio standard that would require 15 percent of the nation’s electricity to be generated from renewable sources. Going beyond states’ mandates is viewed as a form of “big government” with which Republicans disagree.
But remember the bill is far from becoming law. The Senate will likely debate its own energy package later this week in the form of a bipartisan proposal put forward by the “Gang of 20,” which allows for even less offshore drilling than the House bill. Following a vote in the Senate, the two houses would have to conference on a compromise. But the clock is ticking as Congress is set to adjourn on September 26th.
[...] allowing both offshore drilling and an extension of the Federal cleantech investment credit has passed the House of Representatives. However, it still has to pass muster in Senate, an undertaking similar bills have failed [...]
[...] by Craig Rubens No Comments Posted September 17th, 2008 at 3:00 pm in Hitlines,Policy While federal legislators dilly dally over the solar tax credit, local lawmakers in Berkeley, Calif., have decided to move forward with a novel solar financing [...]
[...] federal legislators dilly dally over the solar tax credit, local lawmakers in Berkeley, Calif., have decided to move forward with a novel solar financing [...]
[...] Reading:CNN MoneyEarth2TechClimateProgress Tags: house+energy+bill, offshore+drilling, energy+tax+credits function [...]
Well, to you replubicans, if big brother can tax, impose laws, you know, the normal stuff, then why can’t they impose something like 15% RE standard? My kids will need to rely on RE such as solar power towers, concentrated PV, perhaps even cheap “normal” PV in mass, (and wind). Why would you try to prolong the enivitable. The sooner we do this clean energy thing, the sooner we will have the ability to store it. Quite the necessity. (Molten salt and graphiteis already available for SPT).
Oh, why do I say “to you republicans”?. Because “he” wants to spend 270 billion on a lousy 45 nuclear plants. (That’s about $6 a watt, which, even I can compete with) GET REAL!
But what does this do for the consumer? More taxes? That’s all? No new oil rigs, no refinery capacity, just a bunch of taxes, wrapped up in a hoax? WTF?!
The object is cheap (cleaner) energy. I think we sould save the oil and get on with the renewables! Would’nt that would create less taxes
[...] U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill compromise that lifts the ban on offshore drilling. This is similar to the bill being hammered out [...]
As i see it (and could be wrong but so what), the 15% re standard is not funded by that much of the tax base. Instead it is just a law (that also helps the rich, I know, but what can we do, we already rely on the grid, I Want it green, and plentiful). Sure, some of the tax base may be lost to the PTC, but that’s a drop in the bucket, noth’n compaired to, say what is spent bailing out DF banks, spent on oil tax credits, war, ect. With largescale solar, it would be cheaper in the long run and this much I do know!
[...] federal legislators dilly dally over the solar tax credit, local lawmakers in Berkeley, Calif., have decided to move forward with a novel solar financing [...]
[...] Senate is set to take up debate of the energy bill the House just passed some time this week. House Democrats pushed through a bill last week with almost no Republican [...]
[...] Senate is set to take up debate of the energy bill the House just passed some time this week. House Democrats pushed through a bill last week with almost no Republican [...]
[...] federal legislators dilly dally over the solar tax credit, local lawmakers in Berkeley, Calif., have decided to move forward with a novel solar financing [...]