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Dec 05, 2007

H. Res 846 – Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 6), the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

COMMITTEE ACTION: REPORTED BY A RECORD VOTE OF 9-3 on  Wednesday December 5, 2007.
FLOOR ACTION: ADOPTED BY A RECORD VOTE OF 218 - 195 AFTER AGREEING TO THE PREVIOUS QUESTION BY THE YEAS AND NAYS 216 - 192 on Wednesday December 5, 2007.

MANAGERS: WELCH/DIAZ-BALART, LINCOLN
110th Congress 
1st Session
H.RES. 846
[Report No. 110-474]

Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendments to the bill H.R. 6 - to reduce our Nation's dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to invest in alternative energy, and for other purposes.

  1. Provides for the consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 6.
  1. Makes in order a motion by the Majority Leader to concur in each of the Senate amendments with the respective amendments printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying the resolution. 

  1. Waives all points of order against consideration of the motion except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI.
  1. Provides that the Senate amendments and the motion shall be considered as read.
  1. Provides one hour of debate on the motion equally divided among and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader.
  1. Provides that, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the motion to a time designated by the Speaker.

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RESOLUTION

Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 6) to reduce our Nation's dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to invest in alternative energy, and for other purposes, with Senate amendments thereto, and to consider in the House, without intervention of any point of order except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI, a single motion offered by the Majority Leader or his designee that the House concur in each of the Senate amendments with the respective amendment printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. The Senate amendments and the motion shall be considered as read. The motion shall be debatable for one hour equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader or their designees. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to final adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question.


Sec. 2.  During consideration in the House of the motion to concur pursuant to this resolution, notwithstanding the operation of the previous question, the Chair may postpone further consideration of the bill to such time as may be designated by the Speaker.


SUMMARY OF THE HOUSE AMENDMENTS TO THE SENATE AMENDMENTS TO H.R. 6

Increases the fuel efficiency of vehicles to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Allows automakers to calculate the mileage based on vehicle attributes and to distinguish between cars and trucks. It requires manufacturers to achieve a fleet wide average of 35 mile per gallon in 2020.  The bill includes incentives for the big American manufacturers to build small cars in the   It extends flex fuel vehicle credits for automakers who produce vehicles that can run on E-85 through 2019.

Amends the current Renewable Fuel Standard in the Clean Air Act to require the production and use of at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel in this country by 2022, capping corn ethanol at 15 billion gallons.  This would represent more than 25% of the gasoline that we use in this country today.  It also requires that an increasing portion of renewable fuels must be advanced biofuels until we reach 21 billion gallons in 2022.  A portion of the advanced biofuel mandate qualifies as cellulosic biofuel that derives from a cellulosic feedstock. The bill also requires the production and use of one billion gallons of biodiesel in this country by 2012.

Requires that 15 percent of our electricity come from renewable sources (Renewable Electricity Standard).  The measure exempts municipal and other publicly-owned power plants, federal agencies and rural electric coops and small private utilities, and it permits utilities to use energy efficiency savings to meet up to 4 percent of the targeted 15 percent and to give utilities more time to ramp-up renewable energy sales.

Includes new energy efficiency standards for a wide range of products, appliances, lighting and buildings.

Includes tax incentives for renewable energy, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal technologies, clean coal, as well as biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol.  Also establishes a new tax credit for plug-in and electric vehicles, and extends energy efficiency tax credit for homes, commercial buildings, and appliances.

Authorizes $2 billion of new clean renewable energy bonds to finance facilities that generate electricity from wind, closed- and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, marine renewable, and trash combustion facilities. The bond authority is divided between qualifying projects of state/local/tribal governments, public power providers, and electric cooperatives.
 

Creates a new category of tax credit bonds for State and local governments to promote green community programs and initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Promotes fiscal responsibility by fully paying for the $21.5 billion bill with repeal of $13 billion in tax giveaways for oil and gas companies, which were enacted during a time of record profits, and with other revenue raisers from the President’s budget.

The bill includes energy research provisions in solar, geothermal and marine renewable energy.

Authorizes a nationwide assessment of geological formations capable of sequestering carbon dioxide underground.  Includes research and development in carbon sequestration, including large-volume sequestration tests in a variety of different geological formations.

The bill directs the federal government to promote energy exports of clean, efficient technologies to and and other developing countries.

Creates an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program to train a quality workforce for “green” collar jobs -- such as solar panel manufacturer and green building construction worker -- created by federal renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives.

The bill increases loan limits to help small businesses develop energy efficient technologies and purchases and provides information to small businesses to reduce energy costs.

Increases the federal share for CMAQ, promotes short-sea shipping, and includes capital grants for railroads.

Text of House Amendments to Senate Amendments to H.R. 6