High marks on energy bill

Congress is getting some high marks for its energy bill from the American Farm Bureau. From a news release today:

Farm Bureau Commends House Members For Energy Bill Votes

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2007—The energy bill passed by the House today expands the production and use of fuels made from renewable energy sources, helps boost the nation’s energy security and encourages economic development in rural America, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. AFBF commends members of the House who supported the comprehensive legislation.
“We’re pleased the energy bill passed by the Senate and now the House includes a strong renewable fuels standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022,” AFBF President Bob Stallman said. “American farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to play a significant role in the energy solutions of the future, including the production of renewable energy sources such as ethanol and biodiesel.
“We know key members of Congress negotiated long and hard to craft a strong bill that would receive bipartisan support. Now that the House and Senate have produced a final version of this significant legislation, we urge President Bush to sign it into law as soon as possible,” Stallman said. “This legislation moves our nation forward on the path toward greater energy security.”
The bill approved by the House by a 314-100 margin requires the use of 36 billion gallons of ethanol and other renewable fuels by 2022, a nearly six-fold increase over today’s use of these fuels. Of this total, 21 billion gallons ultimately would have to come from “advanced” biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol, that have 50 percent to 60 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The House approved the final version after senators passed it by an 86-8 margin last week. A sufficient number of Senate Republicans supported the measure after Democratic leaders agreed to strip the bill of language that would have required large oil and gas companies to pay nearly $13 billion in additional taxes. Another sticking point—a provision that would have required utilities to use a set amount of fuel made from renewable sources to generate electricity—also was removed to ensure sufficient congressional support and erase a threatened presidential veto.