Senate blocks round 1 on energy bill; round 2 coming up soon

Last Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to raise gas mileage standards to 35 miles per gallon and required utilities to generate 15% of our electricity from clean, renewable sources.

Unfortunately on Friday the die-hard opposition of the oil and coal industry’s allies in the Senate blocked the bill.  (To find out how your Senators voted, click here or paste the link into your browser: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00416)

Right now, leaders in the House and Senate are renegotiating a new bill that will very likely go back to the House and Senate within days.  Your calls are critical to ensure that the next version of the bill raises gas mileage standards and sets a minimum requirement for renewable electricity.

Call your senators at 202-224-3121.  If you don’t know your senators’ names, that’s ok.  Just tell the operator what state you are from, and they will patch you through.  Here’s a message you can leave: “I’m happy (or disappointed) to see that Senator _______ voted for (or against) the clean energy bill last Friday.  I urge him/her to support the next version of the energy bill and to work to ensure that it requires utilities to generate 15% of our electricity from clean, renewable sources."