Final Energy Bill: Too Much Pork, Not Enough Energy

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<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Washington, D.C., July 26, 2005—More than four years after the introduction of a major bill to address our country’s energy needs, a House and Senate conference committee is ready to send a final bill to Congress for approval this week. The Competitive Enterprise Institute has supported legislative efforts to provide more affordable and reliable energy to American consumers, but is disappointed with many of the provisions that remain in the conference committee version of the energy bill.

“We hoped as the bill went into conference committee that two of the worst special interest payoffs would be eliminated,” said Myron Ebell, CEI’s director of global warming policy. “Fortunately, conferees dropped the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which would have required utilities to use more renewable energy to generate electricity.  That would have been very costly for consumers. But unfortunately, the conference report retains a huge new mandate for ethanol use.  Since ethanol already receives a large federal subsidy, this mandate will hurt taxpayers and consumers.  It is simply a payoff to special interests.”

The final version of the energy bill is expected to be taken up by the House on Wednesday, with the Senate to follow on Thursday or Friday. For further analysis of the conference committee version of the energy bill, please contact Jody Clarke in CEI’s media relations department at 202.331.2252 or [email protected].