Democracy in Action in America

From the Oil Drum:
Legislative Updates on The Energy Bills: Today is the Day, Make Your Voice Heard


This post is a continuation of The Oil Drum's legislative effort to improve the pending House energy bills--the most recent effort can be found here. I can tell you that I have heard from three different staffers about our last thread and its comments, thanking us for our involvement in this legislation. People are being directed to these posts, so please keep them on point and on Realpolitik. Off point comments will be deleted.

TOD Readers are still encouraged to inform their Members about their particular recommendations for voting for or against amendments and/or the bill, especially the adopting of a national Renewable Portfolio Standard. The Capitol Hill Switchboard is 202-225-3121--it is a good idea to know your Member's name or your zip code (all nine digits) when calling--Members only want to hear from their constituents.

Below the fold are links to tables of descriptions of the amendments that have been filed - but NOT YET approved by the Rules Committee for debate and votes tomorrow. Remember, the Energy Tax Bill is H.R. 2776. The General Energy Bill is H.R. 3221. The modified version of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) bill, the old H.R. 969, was filed as an amendment (#96) to

H.R. 3221.

UPDATE: CAFE amendments have been withdrawn from consideration.
UPDATE 2: Dave Roberts has a great post on the RPS here at Gristmill.

Summary and Text of Amendments Submitted to the Rules Committee for H.R. 2776 - Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007
Summary and Text of Amendments Submitted to the Rules Committee for H.R. 3221 - New Direction for Energy Independence , National Security, and Consumer Protection Act
Udall/Platts/Rodriguez/Udall/DeGette/Pallone/Van Hollen/Waxman Renewable Electricity Standard Amendment to H.R. 3221

Edwards, Obama, Richardson and Clinton on Energy

Edwards
Obama
Richardson
Clinton

All of the above Presidential candidates energy policies are significant improvements over present US energy policy. Senators Clinton and Obama have actually introduced some of their ideas as legislative proposals this session, but so far they haven't won enough support to be enacted into law. Richardson and Edwards clearly favor government regulatory-based approaches to improving efficiency and introducing technologies, rather than the more market-based approaches of Clinton and Obama, though even Obama introduces regulatory constraints with his CAFE improvements and Low Carbon Fuel standard, and they all force regulation through "cap and trade" and post-Kyoto international agreements.