In the 109th Congress, the House approved an omnibus energy bill ( H.R. 6 ) onApril 21, 2005, that would open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas leasing,substantially change oversight of electric utilities, increase the use of alternative motor fuels, provide$8.1 billion in energy tax incentives, extend the nuclear accident liability system, and authorizenumerous energy R&D programs. 6 on June 28without ANWR provisions but including $14.1 billion in tax incentives and provisions on globalclimate change. Use ofmethyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as a domestic gasoline additive would be phased out, but statescould authorize continued use and under the House bill the President could void the ban. Producersof MTBE and renewable fuels would be granted protection (a "safe harbor") from product liabilitylawsuits under the House bill, while only renewable fuels would be covered in the Senate bill. The Senate bill includes a "renewable portfolio standard" (RPS) -- rejected by the HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee -- requiring utilities to generate at least 10% of their electricityfrom renewable energy sources by 2020. All ERO standards would be approvedby the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Senate bill would terminate FERC's Standard Market Design notice of proposedrulemaking. The Public Utility Holding Company Act of1935 (PUHCA) would be repealed. Renewable Fuel Standard and MTBE. The House bill would require that 3.1 billion gallons of renewablefuel be used in 2005, increasing to 5.0 billion gallons by 2012, and the Senate bill would require 8.0billion gallons by 2012 (compared with 3.4 billion gallons used in 2004). The ban has two possible exceptions. The Senate bill includes the safe harbor provision for renewable fuels but not MTBE; theSenate safe harbor would not be retroactive. Energy Taxes. First, the Senate bill would providenet tax reductions of $14.1 billion over 11 years compared with $8.1 billion in the House-passedversion. The Senate bill also provides more tax incentives for energy efficiency investments than theHouse bill. Nuclear Energy. The Senate version of H.R. The House version of H.R. 6 as passed by the House would authorize oil and gas exploration,development, and production in a portion of ANWR, with a 2,000-acre limit on certain productionand support facilities. The Senate version contains no ANWR provisions. Domestic Energy Production. 6 wouldencourage production on federal lands through royalty reductions for marginal oil and gas wells onpublic lands and the outer continental shelf. Overview of House and Senate Versions

The House and Senate versions of H.R. For example, only the House bill would openANWR to oil and gas activities, and only the Senate version includes extensive provisions explicitlyaddressing global climate change.
The House approved an omnibus energy bill ( H.R. 6 ) on April 21, 2005, thatwould open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas leasing, substantiallychange oversight of electric utilities, increase the use of alternative motor fuels, provide $8.1 billionin energy tax incentives, and authorize numerous energy R&D programs. The Senate passed itsversion of H.R. 6 on June 28 without ANWR provisions but with $14.1 billion in taxincentives -- including a nuclear energy production credit -- and provisions on global climate change.Highlights of the bills include:
Electricity. Both the House and the Senate versions of the bill would repeal the Public UtilityHolding Company Act (PUHCA), but the Senate bill has provisions for more stringent oversight ofutility mergers than the House version. Standard market design (SMD) would be remanded to theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the House bill, while the Senate version wouldterminate the rulemaking altogether.
Renewable Energy. An increase in renewable fuel and ethanol consumption to 5 billiongallons annually by 2012 would be mandated by the House bill, as opposed to 8 billion gallons inthe Senate bill. The Senate bill includes a "renewable portfolio standard" (RPS) -- rejected in theHouse -- requiring utilities to generate at least 10% of their electricity from renewable energy sourcesby 2020.
MTBE. Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive widely used to meet CleanAir Act requirements, has caused water contamination. The House and Senate bills would phase outthe use of MTBE with some possible exceptions and provide funds for MTBE cleanup, with somedifferences. The House version would provide protection for fuel producers and blenders ofrenewable fuels and MTBE from defective product lawsuits, while the Senate bill would coverrenewable fuels but not MTBE.
Energy Taxes. The House bill would reduce energy taxes by about $8.1 billion over 11 years,as compared with $14.1 billion in the Senate version. A nuclear energy production tax credit isincluded among the Senate incentives.
ANWR. The House-passed bill would authorize oil and gas exploration, development, andproduction in ANWR, with a 2,000-acre limit on production and support facilities. No ANWRprovisions are included in the Senate version.
Energy Production on Federal Lands. Both bills include numerous provisions to increaseenergy production on federal lands. The Senate version of H.R. 6 would require aninventory of oil and natural gas resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), while the Houseversion would not.
This report will not be updated.