In a 65-27 vote, the Senate approved HR.6, which authorises research and development spending of up to $120 million on carbon sequestration, with the goal of furthering development of this key technology to reduce carbon emissions.
The bill also establishes an escalating requirement to reduce America’s gasoline consumption, beginning with a 20% savings target in 10 years, largely through the development on biofuels.
In addition, the bill contains new efficiency benchmarks for appliances that is set to save more than 50 TWh per year in electricity.
Senator Pete Domenici, ranking Republican member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said: “The provisions in this bill to improve the efficiency of appliances will save energy and lower costs for consumers, while the carbon sequestration section will help us find ways to decrease our carbon emissions from all types of power sources.”
Proposals for a nationwide renewable portfolio standard of up to 20% did not appear in the final bill. Domenici had introduced the Clean Portfolio Standard (CPS) amendment as an alternative to a proposal by Senator Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, to establish a 15% federal Renewable Portfolio/Electricity Standard (RPS).
The Domenici alternative included renewable technologies but would also have allowed resources like nuclear, new hydropower, fuel cells, and others to count toward the 20% standard.
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