Historic Energy Bill Passes the House

Historic Energy Bill Passes the House

For Immediate Release

For for more information contact:
Nick Berning, 202-222-0748

Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder’s statement on today’s House passage of the energy bill follows:

“This historic piece of legislation represents a paradigm shift in our nation’s approach to energy. The House of Representatives has voted to begin curbing our dependence on fossil fuels and reducing our global warming pollution. We applaud the bill’s passage in the House and commend Speaker Nancy Pelosi for standing up to special interests and ensuring that key provisions remained. This energy bill is not perfect—its fuel economy standards are too weak and its biofuels mandate too large—but, on balance, it represents a strong step forward. Especially important are a provision that will require all utilities to produce some of their energy from clean sources, such as wind and solar, and provisions that will end billions of dollars of subsidies for big oil and instead use these funds to hasten America’s transition to a clean energy future.

“Several steps remain before the energy bill becomes law. We urge senators to do all they can to ensure the bill’s passage, and call on President Bush to sign it.”

More detail about Friends of the Earth’s positions on various aspects of the bill is available in a letter that Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace sent to members of Congress prior to the vote, which is available at /energy/12-06-07_Energy_Bill_Letter.pdf.

 

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