Jun. 20, 2007 -- Progress on the Senate energy bill has stalled as lawmakers clashed over a proposal that would require U.S. utilities to obtain 15 percent of their electricity supply from renewable energy sources by 2020. Utilities unable to meet the standard could buy excess credits from other states or pay the government a penalty of about two cents per kilowatt-hour.

Republicans criticized the plan, arguing that it overly favors wind energy and could harm states that have limited wind energy resources. Democrats, with the aid of seven Republicans, voted 56-39 to table the Domenici amendment - prompting Republicans to block a vote on the Bingaman plan. As Democrats appeared not to have the 60 votes needed to force a vote on the amendment, they abandoned the issue.

The centerpieces of the bill are a mandated 40 percent increase in fuel economy standards and a fivefold increase in the production of ethanol. The legislation also increases home appliance and federal building energy efficiency standards, and requires the federal government to boost its use of renewable energy and cut its oil consumption. In addition, it stiffens penalties for price gouging by oil companies, and provides support for efforts to study trapping greenhouse gases underground, a technology known as carbon sequestration.

- From the Environmental News Services