Advocates of an energy-efficiency bill in Congress are hopeful the measure can pass both chambers sometime this year.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on May 8 approved S.761 by a voice vote. However, three GOP senators said they wanted to go on the record as voting against the measure. At the meeting, ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said, "It's encouraging to see senators from both sides of the aisle coming together to work on bipartisan energy legislation." Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) added, "To anybody who calls this low-hanging fruit, I'd say, to me, it looks pretty ripe for a gridlocked Congress."