Climate change bill passes House

The U.S. House of

Representatives narrowly passed a sweeping climate change bill today that will

significantly change the way Americans use and produce energy, reports a story

by Reuters .

 

The American Clean Energy

and Security Act (ACES), which passed on a 219-212 vote, now moves to the

Senate, where experts predict another battle. Following intense last-minute

wrangling among its members and lobbying from President Obama, the House of

Representatives passed potentially landmark legislation June 26 that seeks to

reduce the release of carbon dioxide by making industry pay for its emissions.

The Democrat-sponsored American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 passed by

a razor-thin margin, with 219 votes in favor, including eight from

Republicans–just one more than the minimum needed, reports Forbes .

 

According to BNet, here are some highlights and a few of the compromises.

 

Clean energy technology. The bill provides $90

billion by 2025 for clean energy technology and energy

efficiency, $60 billion for carbon capture and sequestration and $20

billion for electric and other advanced technology vehicles.
Solar, wind. A renewable energy standard has

been established that will require 20 percent of all U.S.

electricity to come from alternative sources by 2020. This mandate

opens up opportunities for growth within the renewable energy industry

including solar and wind power.
Farm states. House Agriculture Committee

Chairman Collin Peterson held the bill hostage until certain compromises

were made. What resulted is a 50-page amendment that among others things

shifts control from the Environmental Protection Agency to

the Department of Agriculture to determine rules for carbon

offsets, a program that would pay farmers for practices that reduce

greenhouse gas emissions. Grist delves into the amendment and

includes all the nitty gritty details.
Biofuels . Peterson’s amendment also requires a

lengthy review, with final results published within five years, of biofuel

regulations. During this five-year review, biofuels emissions

from international indirect land use are exempt.

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