Proactive energy bill approved

President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law Dec.19. The act has several sections:

• It phases out the use of inefficient incandescent lights and imposes improved energy efficiency standards on a wide variety of products. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the new standards for light bulbs require them to use about 20% to 30% less energy by 2014, while requiring the U.S. Dept. of Energy to set standards for light bulbs to cut their energy use at least 35% by 2020.

• This act calls for accelerated research and development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, although all the provisions are subject to congress-ional appropriations of funds. Research will be conducted in the areas of solar energy, geothermal energy, and marine and hydrokinetic energy.

• It mandates a 40% increase in fuel economy by 2020 and requires the Dept. of Transportation to set more stringent fuel economy standards with cars made in 2011.

• The act boosts the requirements for renewable fuel use to 36 billion gallons by 2022. The act requires advanced biofuels—defined as fuels that cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%—to provide 21 billion gallons of fuel by 2022, or about 60% of the total requirement.