From a Madison Capital Times editorial, 10/19/03:
http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/editorial/59051.php

Backward energy bill


A smart federal energy policy would look to the future, emphasizing
conservation to reduce America's dependence on foreign energy sources
and encouraging the expansion of renewable energy production to help
stabilize prices.

But the energy policy currently being crafted by Republicans behind
closed doors in Washington looks to the past by continuing subsidies
for polluting fossil fuel producers and doing nothing to reduce the
country's addiction to imported oil.

Not that we're surprised.

Vice President ***** Cheney's private meetings two years ago with
energy interests, which pointedly excluded environmentalists, left no
doubt which industries were in the Bush administration's favor.

However, there are some in Congress who understand that the United
States must change course on its energy policies, and the Senate
energy bill came through with several provisions in the right
direction.

Regrettably, they won't see the light of day in the final energy bill.

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., head the
conference committee reconciling the House and Senate energy bills.

They've shut Democratic committee members out of the process and are
busy loading the bill with fossil fuel-based pork projects to secure
votes while at the same time removing conservation measures,
including:

Requiring large utilities to use renewable fuels to produce 10 percent
of their electricity by 2020.

Currently less than 2 percent of the nation's electricity is produced
by wind, solar, geothermal and biomass sources.

Requiring improved fuel economy for cars and light trucks.

The corporate average fuel economy standard for new cars has been
stalled at 27.5 mpg for 18 years.

Telling President Bush to find ways to save 1 million barrels of oil
per day by 2013.

Although this measure is not in the final Senate energy bill, senators
earlier this year did vote 99-1 to support it.

Here's what Domenici and Tauzin have included in the legislation so
far:

Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling.

Sparing producers of the gasoline additive MTBE, a suspected
carcinogen that has fouled water supplies, from liability in lawsuits.

Urging, instead of requiring, automakers to design nonpolluting
hydrogen vehicles by 2020.

Efforts increased this week to nail down an energy bill that both
houses could support and that Bush would sign.

That may result in dumping the ANWR drilling provision, but the rest
of this backward bill is likely to pass.

It will mean more pollution, continued price volatility and no
incentive for big energy producers to wean themselves from old
technologies or fossil fuels.

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The Bush/GOP has fucked us again, folks.

Harry