H.R. 6 Increases Domestic Energy Supply, Decreases Foreign Dependence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Larry Neal or Lisa Miller

Monday, June 13, 2005 202-225-5735

Key provisions in the bipartisan energy bill approved by the House to increase domestic energy supply:

• Opens a limited area of ANWR to drilling, which is expected to generate a million barrels of oil per day. ANWR alone would cut in half our reliance on Iraqi oil (2 million barrels) or equate to two-thirds of the oil we get from Libya (1.5 million barrels). Had President Clinton not vetoed ANWR legislation in 1995, it's reasonable to assume that fields would have reached consistent levels of production by now and would make a difference in our wallets even now.
• Requires 5 billion gallons of renewable fuel to be included in all gasoline sold in the United States by 2012. This increased use will save 1.6 billion barrels of oil by 2012.
• Streamlines the regulatory and approval process for the restart of idle refineries or the construction of new refineries, under certain conditions. It would help to increase the number of American refineries, as opposed to not only being reliant on foreign oil, but also foreign gasoline.
• Adds two months to Daylight Savings Time, saving the equivalent of 100,000 barrels of oil.
• Increases domestic exploration and development on non-park federal lands and by authorizing expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to 1 billion barrels.
• Launches state-of-the-art program to get hydrogen fuel-cell cars on the road by 2020.
• Increases funding for the Department of Energy's "Clean Cities" program, which provides grants to state and local governments to acquire alternative-fueled and fuel-cell vehicles, hybrids and ultra low-sulfur diesel vehicles.
• Includes $2.9 billion for fossil energy research to ensure more efficient exploration and development of oil, gas and coal, while decreasing the environmental impact of fossil energy production and use.

In addition, the Energy and Commerce Committee and House approved a number of amendments that would help reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Amendments approved during the Energy and Commerce Committee markup:

Amendment 16, offered by Ms. Baldwin, adds livestock methane into the Renewable Energy Production Incentive

Amendment 32, offered by Mr. Wynn, develops a reactor hydrogen cogeneration plan.

Amendment 42, offered by Mr. Upton, nearly doubles Title XIII (Hydrogen title) funding.

Amendments approved during the House floor debate on the energy bill:

Amendment 11, offered by Mr. Abercrombie, authorizes a 3-year demonstration program for producing ethanol from sugar cane.

Amendment 16, offered by Mr. Ford, requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to encourage domestic production and sales of efficient hybrid and advanced diesel vehicles.

Amendment 17, offered by Mr. Kucinich, permits 30 communities to apply for grants to invest in alternative fuel vehicles under the Department of Energy Clean City program.

Amendment 23, offered by Mr. Engel, expands the types of renewable fuels eligible for a grant program in the bill.

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Excerpt from preliminary analysis of Senate energy policy choices:

"AS THE SUMMER VACATION SEASON BEGINS, A FEW IN THE SENATE HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF HOW AMERICANS CAN REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON IMPORTED OIL.

- U.S. Senate Photo - U.S. Senate Design Bureau

"IT IS FAIR TO CONCLUDE THAT THE SENATE SPORTS MODEL, AT LEFT, AND EVEN THE ROOMIER FAMILY SEDAN WOULD OFFER SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN GASOLINE CONSUMPTION. STILL, THE HOUSE SEEMS UNLIKELY TO ENDORSE THIS APPROACH."

- Larry Neal, Deputy Staff Director, House Energy and Commerce Committee

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