The conference committee finally pushed through the energy bill on Friday. Here’s a list of stories addressing the merits, or serious lack thereof, in the legislation.
Overview of the bill from the Washington Post, reflecting the general conclusion that little will be gained from this very expensive bill.
“GOP touts energy bill, but provides few specifics”
House, Senate OK broad energy bill
Republicans agree on a sweeping energy bill
Electricity provisions of the bill:
Bill lets US order power lines built
Enabling FERC to collect wholesale price data from utilities
May not help grid investment and construction
Aims to prevent blackouts
Industry would establish rules for grid use
Increasing the strategic petroleum reserve by 300 million barrels
Ethanol subsidies/MTBE replacement:
Details of ethanol measures in the energy bill
Farmers could make hay with energy bill
Energy bill awash in oil, but still leaves room to double ethanol
Fuel additive hot button in energy bill
Bill makes MTBE waiver retroactive
Bill protects MTBE manufacturers from lawsuits
Subsidies to various industries (except ethanol, so egregiously subsidized that I list it separately):
Industries may cash in on energy bill
Industry tax breaks fill energy bill
Energy bill would benefit companies
Tax breaks for oil
Coal measures of the bill
Drilling in ANWR:
Energy bill does not include ANWR drilling
Arctic left out of energy bill
Republicans say energy bill will boost economy
Looming conflict in Congress over bill:
Congressional conference votes today on energy bill
Showdown looms over energy bill
In the rush to solutions that encompasses the Ethanol Initiative, there has not been too much thought given to the problems of using ethanol in certain environments.
Due to the properties of ethanol, most of the plastic/butyl/composite hoses, o-rings and gaskets in engines will disintegrate. This should be a great business booster to the engine repair folks.
Additionally, consider the use of fuels in a marine environment. All boats with gas engines will be facing serious challenges. Ethanol has the ability to quickly separate water from fuel. This might sound like a good thing but when Ethanol does this it creates layers in a tank and a sort of gel where the water and ethanol meet. This will clog up the works and result in loss of power since the fuel lines will be clogged with goo.
I haven’t heard much about this but if you consider the 40 cent increase in prices that is coming and add on the cost of engine problems it is going to be a real nightmare once the new fuel mixes are rolled out.
It is a measure of how completely the two parties are wired into the Presidential nomination process that this priority of Iowa farmers, the prolific source of campaign funds Archer Daniels Midland and practically no one else is virtually without prominent critics speaking from either side of the aisle.