Renewable fuel compromise key to bill is the headline from A.P. and we learn, among other things, that “Democratic leaders working on an energy bill were trying to forge compromises Monday to increase the use of renewable fuels both in cars and by electric utilities after reaching a deal earlier that would raise vehicle fuel economy by 40 percent.” We are further given an indication of a timetable: “The plan is for a House vote on the compromise bill on Thursday with the Senate taking up the energy package perhaps the following week.”
Meanwhile, here’s a little inside baseball on Speaker Pelosi’s juice from the “NY Times”: Fuel Bill Shows House Speaker’s Muscle. If she’s being praised by the oldest old bull in the House, “Big John” Dingell, Pelosi seems to have more than earned her stripes: “She is doing a good job. She is a strong speaker, and I am doing my best to work with her and she is doing her best to work with me.”
In a comprehensive report from the authoritative Washington resource, “The Hill,” we learn about some of the many things that are still in play. Losing renewable energy tax credits and a new building code standard to increase the efficiency of homes and businesses would hurt a lot.
Maybe – just maybe – we’ll only have to wait a bit more than a year now to start to get really serious about energy and climate change with our government here.
I’ll leave you with this animated short, “Higher Ground,” from Pulitzer Prize-winning “Houston Chronicle” cartoonist Nick Anderson.