House Approves Energy Package With Natural Gas, Electricity Construction, Nuclear Power Incentives
Comprehensive energy legislation has gained momentum on Capitol Hill, with House passage of a package of policy changes and tax breaks that include measures aimed at speeding construction of natural gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines, boosting nuclear power and opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling. The vote on April 21 was 249 to 183.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas), the bill's prime mover, said the legislation "will lower energy prices for consumers, spur our economy, create hundreds of thousands of jobs and take unprecedented steps to promote greater energy conservation and efficiency."