Energy Bill Goes To The Senate

It was a lot closer than I expected, but the energy bill has finally passed the House of Representatives. It was passed on Friday by a vote of 219 to 212. Republicans were solidly opposed to the bill, but since there are only 178 Republicans in the House, that means quite a few Democrats voted against the bill also.

According to CNN News, "The bill would reduce nationwide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a so-called 'cap-and-trade' program under which companies would buy and sell emissions credits. Among other things, the bill would also require utilities to generate an increasing amount of power from renewable sources."

The reason the vote was so close was that the energy industry lobbyists pulled out all the stops. The energy industry does not want this bill to become law. If it does, it's going to cost them some money to control their release to the environment of pollutants like carbon dioxide. They will also have to move much quicker than they want to cleaner and renewable sources of energy.

They have tried to attack the bill on two fronts. They say it will cause the price of energy to rise, and that it will also be a job-killer. It's hard to argue the first point. The price of energy will rise, but it will probably also spur the invention of more efficient ways to use that energy. The second is more debatable. Many believe that new green jobs will simply replace any jobs lost, and that is probably true.

But we really don't have a lot of choice. Whether Republicans and power company magnates want to admit it or not, global climactic change is already becoming a serious problem. We must take drastic action to stop it before we reach the point of no return. History tells us we cannot trust the power companies and energy suppliers to do the right thing. If they have their way, they'll go right on burning fossil fuels until it's too late.

Now the future of the bill rests with the Senate. The lobbyists are not going to let up, and it would take just a few "blue dog" Democrats to wimp out to kill the bill, or disastrously alter it. The bill needs to pass as close as possible to its present form, but so far, the Democrats haven't exactly shown a lot of political courage.

I wish I had more faith in the majority leader, but I really expect Reid to blow this great opportunity to install a sane energy policy and protect the environment.