Reuters: Houses Democrats Unveil New Energy Plan

[flpoljunkie]

Hot damn!

House Democrats unveil new energy plan
By Chris Baltimore

Reuters
Thursday, March 1, 2007; 4:03 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/01/AR2007030101196.html

WASHINGTON - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday unveiled a bill that would spend about $15 billion to double U.S. automobile fuel efficiency, expand ethanol distribution and build more mass transit.

The so-called "Program for Real Energy Security Act," to be introduced next week, is the second energy bill Democrats have proposed since taking control of Congress in January.

The House in January passed a bill that would roll back energy industry tax breaks and force companies to pay more drilling royalties, valued at $14 billion over a decade. That bill has not seen action in the Senate yet.

The new bill, backed by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and about 100 other lawmakers, could form the basis of energy legislation House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to call for a vote before the chamber recesses in August.

The bill would fund research into ways to double U.S. automobile fuel efficiency, focusing on hydrogen, fuel cells, plug-in hybrids and other high-tech ideas. It would give grants to build more public transit and commuter rail systems, Hoyer said.

[redqueen]

1. Why ethanol?

Ugh... I wish that wasn't included.

[flpoljunkie]

2. We know the reason why, and it is not pretty. Ethanol is not the way to go.

[redqueen]

3. Politics, right?

:grr:

[flpoljunkie]

4. Absofuckenlutely!

[twiceshy]

5. The elephant in the room.......

Is nuclear power, clean, abundant, high-tech. Producing hydrogen requires massive amounts of power and only nuclear can fill the role without creating more of a problem than it solves.