Anti- Enviro Republicans Reject Boost in Renewables in Energy Bill

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Fifty-three senators - 45 Democrats and 8 Republicans - asked negotiators to add language to the energy bill that calls for 10 percent of electricity generation by 2020 to come from renewable sources like wind and solar power, up from the current 2 percent.

However, Republicans Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep Billy Tauzin, who are writing the broad energy bill, rejected such a provision in the second draft of their legislation released on Monday afternoon.
Democratic lawmakers have bitterly complained that Republicans managers have kept them out of the initial bill-writing process, and have only considered Democratic concerns after the fact.

The second draft version of the energy bill still contains the contentious plan to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senate Democrats strongly oppose opening ANWR and say they have enough votes to filibuster to death the energy bill if the final version gives oil companies access to the refuge.

Domenici and Tauzin said they plan to deliver a final bill to a joint Senate-House conference committee for a vote by early October.

TALKING POINTS THAT SUMMARIZE CHANGES BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND DISCUSSION DRAFTS
September 29, 2003 - News Release
http://energy.senate.gov/news/rep_release.cfm?id=212281

Second Draft Energy Conference Text:
http://energy.senate.gov/legislation/energybill2003/energybill2003.cfm

[realFedUp]

1. Call up Pete and Billy today

Tell em they are full of hot air, which we like
in renewable sources but not in our Representatives.

Sen.Pete Domineci- Washington - 202-224-6621, fax: [phone]
Albuquerque- 505-346-6791

Rep. Billy Tauzin - Washington - 202-225-6401 fax: [phone]
Gonzales - 225-621-8490

[punpirate]

3. From experience...

... Pete doesn't listen to anything but the party line on energy matters. He's busily trying to get a nuclear fuel processing/reprocessing plant into New Mexico now in anticipation of this bill passing.

Cheers.

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4. This is a critical time. Democrats could fold

Minority Chairman of the committee Sen. Bingaman sometimes bends to industry.

Communicating with Your Elected Officials
http://www.fvap.gov/communicating.html

[punpirate]

7. Wrote him months ago.

On the matter of renewables, Bingaman issued this two days ago:

http://energy.senate.gov/news/dem_release.cfm?id=212304

Many other issues in the bill are not good, and have said so, but this position above on establishing renewables in energy policy seems reasonably secure.

Cheers.

[punpirate]

2. The world is not going to come to an end...

... if this particular bill isn't passed. In a great many ways, it's a boondoggle for Bush's contributors, and has so many bad provisions in it that we're actually better off not passing it all, no matter the few small benefits in it.

But, I will bet a steak dinner to a doughnut that if there's any hint of a filibuster, the Bushies will be screaming on all the talk shows that failure to pass this bill is a threat to our national security.

In fact, as you suggest, renewables research and implementation (and some reasonably stiffer and progressive CAFE standards) would do more for the nation's security than anything they propose in this crony-enabling bill.

Cheers.

[bigtree]

5. I think you misunderstand the post- I strongly oppose this bill

This is a dangerous bill. It includes all of the destructive ambitions of the Bush gang, from new nuclear weapons and new nuclear fuels to new nuclear plants.

ACTION/STRATEGY AND PLEA FOR PARTICIPATION

Here is a thread started to put some DU heads together and come up with some points to letters and hopefully effect more opposition to this bill through elected officials and other groups likely to support a call for action against the energy bill. This bill is currently under consideration and we need to act NOW!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=375948

HERE IS LATEST THREAD STARTED ON ENERGY BILL ISSUE

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=407170&mesg_id=407170

[punpirate]

6. No misunderstanding.... n/t

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8. Emerging energy blueprint reflects industry, White House priorities

http://www.enn.com/news/2003-09-30/s_8934.asp

The GOP drafts, which are unlikely to be significantly changed, also include:

* increases in money for nuclear research, including construction of a $1.1 billion reactor for making hydrogen. These proposals were not in either earlier bill.

* an incentive to make vehicles that run on either gasoline or an alternative fuel. Critics say this only helps automakers meet fuel economy requirements because buyers end up using gasoline in the vehicles anyway.

* measures to speed approval for oil and gas development permits in the Rocky Mountains.

* federal loan guarantee of up to $800 million to help a Minnesota utility build a coal-burning power plant, a subsidy found in neither the House or Senate legislation.