[GreenYes] Energy Bill to be Introduced on Monday

[Ann Schneider <schneiderann@juno.com>]

Reference to Federal Tax Subsidies for virgin materials extraction
Paragraph 5

Murkowski to Offer Plan Monday to Increase U.S. Energy Supplies]

 http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=uspolitics_news.ht&s=AOpa_DhaETXV
ya29
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 Murkowski to Offer Plan Monday to Increase U.S. Energy Supplies
 By Liz Skinner

 Washington, Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Energy Committee Chairman
Frank
 Murkowski plans to introduce a proposal Monday aimed at increasing U.S.
 energy supplies that includes a divisive plan to allow drilling in the
 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

 The energy bill would boost oil and natural gas drilling on federal
lands
 and give tax breaks for clean coal technologies, some oil drilling, and
 power generated from the sun, the wind and other renewable sources,
 according to Murkowski, an Alaska Republican.

 The proposal, consistent with goals President George W. Bush has said
his
 administration will pursue, will face opposition from Democrats, along
with
 environmental organizations and some taxpayer groups. Senator John Kerry
of
 Massachusetts, a Democrat, already has said he'll use legislative stall
 tactics to derail any proposal to open the arctic refuge.

 ``This archaic energy policy will not decrease our dependence on foreign
 oil, but will only increase these industries' dependence on taxpayers,''
 said Cena Swisher, a director of Taxpayers for Common Sense. ``Lawmakers
are
 asking taxpayers to give more of their hard-earned money to industries
that
 are seeing record profits.''

 Environmental groups oppose drilling in the arctic refuge and say
 Murkowski's bill would provide corporate handouts to the oil, coal,
natural
 gas and nuclear power industries. Companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp.,
 Chevron Corp. and BP Amoco Plc favor drilling in the Alaskan refuge.

 John Felmy, chief economist of the American Petroleum Institute, which
 represents the nation's largest oil companies, said additional access to
oil
 and natural gas from federal lands is necessary to meet U.S. energy
demands.

 Not for Big Oil					---> --\/

 Describing his proposal last Friday on the Senate floor, Murkowski said
the
 bill isn't intended for big oil companies like Exxon Mobil Corp., which
 reported record profits for the final quarter of 2000 because of higher
oil
 and natural gas prices. The measure will help small, independent oil
 companies with expensive deepwater oil and gas drilling activities, he
said.

 The legislation ``is an attempt to address, in a responsible manner, the
 concerns affecting the dilemma in this country as we seek an energy
 policy,'' Murkowski said in a statement today. ``We have to recognize,
first
 of all, that we have an energy crisis in this country, and it is not
unique
 to one area.''

 The proposal comes as California has faced intermittent power shortages,
 rate increases and the threatened bankruptcies of its two biggest
utilities.
 California Governor Gray Davis is trying to reach an agreement with the
 utilities to buy their transmission lines and allow them to issue bonds
to
 pay more than $12 billion in debt.

 California's troubles have been a rallying cry for Republicans seeking
 support for a national energy policy that takes a turn from the Clinton
 administration's focus on promoting cleaner-burning natural gas and
energy
 conservation.

 Murkowski's Proposals

 In addition to opening 1.5 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife
 Refuge for exploration, Murkowski said his bill would attempt to speed
up
 the government process for relicensing hydroelectric dams, provide
 technology and research programs for nuclear power and offer energy
 conservation assistance for families. It also would allow single drivers
in
 alternative-fueled vehicles to travel in high-occupancy-vehicle highway
 lanes.

 Representative Joe Barton, a Texas Republican who heads the House energy
 panel and is coordinating its attempt to craft an energy policy, said he
 doesn't support a provision of Murkowski's bill that would give the
federal
 government additional control over electric transmission lines.

 ``The federal pre-empting of states is not something I support,'' Barton
 said.

 Murkowski said that he expects the bill will have to be ``massaged,''
with
 some cuts and some additions made, before it is adopted. He said he'll
hold
 hearings on the measure and encouraged Finance Committee Chairman
Charles
 Grassley of Iowa to schedule hearings on its tax aspects.