Key Votes on Renewable Energy Standard and corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards may not happen at all. With debate on the energy bill almost defnitely ending today, and strong Republican opposition to even a comproimise Renewable Energy Standard amendment that would allow states opt out of the national renewable energy standard and would ultimately increase national renewable energy production by only 1 or 2 percent beyond what is already occurring, it seems doubtful that Sen. Bingaman's RES vote will happen today either. However, Sen. Levin and Sen. Bond's amendment to greatly weaken the CAFE standards already in the energy bill may not come up for a vote either.

Yesterday, a good biofuels amendment passed 58-34, that included a number of provisions to make sure biofuel production would remain environmentally sensible. These provisions included studies on environmental impacts of biofuels and a requirement that advanced ("next generation") biofuels have "life cycle" global warming pollution that's 50 percent less than that of gasoline.

Assuming the CAFE position stays strong, we will supportthe enrgy bill. It will put the U.S. on track to increse average average gas mileage on cars and light trucks for the first time since 1987, and it supports a responsible biofuel production. These are important solution pieces to global warming, but the lack of a national Renewable Energy Standard would be very disappointing, especially because the public overwhlemingly supports it. However, as mentioned yesterday, with Republicans threatening to filibuster the entire bill and the WHite House threatinng a veto, passing the bill is far from definite.

Back after this with the happy recap....