WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier today, Senate Republicans blocked consideration of a comprehensive and innovative energy bill including tax benefits to encourage the use and production of renewable energy and energy conservation. The legislation, The Clean Renewable Energy and Conservation Tax Act of 2007, as included in H.R. 6, the Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act of 2007, passed the House with a strong bipartisan majority of 235-181 last week.
"Senate Republicans, bolstered by a lame-duck President, have chosen to defend big oil companies rather than make critical investments in our energy independence," said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel, author of the tax title included in H.R. 6. "The American people have charged Congress to find solutions to end our dependence on foreign oil and invest in new technologies to meet our energy needs for future generations. This bill was an important step toward reaching those goals and Senate Republicans have chosen to stand in the way of that progress."
The tax title included in H.R. 6 would have provided robust incentives for renewable energy production, increased efficiency, plug-in electric drive vehicles, and incentives for carbon capture and sequestration coal demonstration projects. The package would also facilitate and advance the development of advanced electricity infrastructure, while also containing incentives to mitigate carbon emissions, promote the production of renewable energy and the security of America’s domestic fuel supply, and encourage energy savings and efficiency.
