Today, the Senate backed a bill in support of solar, wind, and other clean energy technologies, the most wide-ranging energy bill approved in almost ten years.
Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Maria Cantwell of Washington authored the Energy Policy Modernization Act in an effort to cut down on greenhouse gases and support natural gas. The bill was approved 85 to 12. It also addresses a half-billion dollar conservation fund for parks and public lands, encourages “clean coal” technology (in which carbon dioxide is reclaimed from coal-burning power plants), and supports hydropower and geothermal energy.
The bill is contenting with a version already passed by the House, which promotes fossil fuels. President Barack Obama is in opposition to the House plan and could veto its support of fossil fuel-using industries like oil, coal, and natural gas. An energy measure of this scope has not been passed since 2007, when Congress cut down on imported oil and ethanol in gasoline during George W. Bush’s administration.
Murkowski, a Republican, is the chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She spoke in favor of the bill’s power to save money and energy, as well as helping the United States become “an energy superpower.”
Cantwell, a Democrat, is the senior member of her party on the energy panel and said that she believed the bill would bolster the economy by allowing easier access to inexpensive, clean energy for businesses and consumers
The oil and gas industries are going strong in the United States as drilling techniques, including fracking, allow access to more material. The Obama administration is working on cutting down the greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other sources, including the June 2014 Clean Power Plan.
The bipartisan energy bill is estimated to cost $32 billion over five years.