08/03/05 Energy Bill a good thing?

Congress finally passed a comprehensive energy bill after years of debate and attempts. But even though President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law very soon, debate over some provisions of the Energy Bill remain. Or as Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington put it & CANTWELL: This is not the end of discussion about energy independence, but this is an important first step. Take for example findings of a study released by a team of researchers from Cornell University and the University of California  Berkeley. According to the study, depending on the crop used for conversion into ethanol, it took anywhere from twenty-seven to as much as fifty seven per cent more fossil fuel to convert plant matter to biofuels. The conclusion of the study is our nation is better off taping into other renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydrogen power. But supporters of renewable fuels such as Troy Bredenkamp of the American Farm Bureau Federation says efforts like the 7.5 million gallon renewable fuels standard to be put in place by the year 2012 and biodiesel tax credits should not only provide another viable energy source for the nation, but a rural economic development engine as well. BREDENKAMP: We are going to see not only continued growth within corn-based ethanol, but we also have room for rapid expansion of biodiesel, which is coming on very quickly. And we're also going to see a lot of research development and investment into cellulosic ethanol which is getting ethanol from things like corn stalks, orchard pruning, rice, stubble. Then there are those farm state Senators like Iowa's Tom Harkin who say there should have more done to promote renewable fuels in the Energy Bill. HARKIN: We should have been more aggressive in promoting home grown renewable energy and conservation measures. The Senate's excellent portfolio standard was taken out in conference. The problem is that the bulk of the tax benefits are energy sources that will make us still dependant on foreign oil and will still continue to pollute the atmosphere. But there's a big chunk of it for renewables. I just wish it was the other way around. And there might be some in the general population who will grumble, or perhaps not, about an extra month or so added to daylights savings time. But on the other end, there is celebration in the Northwest by many who saw key provisions to the region's main source of power added to this Energy Bill. What the effects might be for the Northwest is the subject of our next program.