DATELINE: 27 June 2009
Major provisions of House climate and energy bill
By The Associated Press
Highlights of climate bill approved passed by the House:
» Reducing greenhouse gases by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a cap-and-trade program that allows pollution permits to be bought and sold.
» Limiting emissions from major industrial sources, including power plants, factories, refineries and electricity and natural gas distributors. Emissions from agriculture would be excluded from the cap.
» Controlling carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels and limiting six other greenhouse gases.
» Allowing companies to meet emission-limiting targets by investing in offset projects such as tree planting and forest protection.
» Requiring electric utilities to produce at least 12 percent of their power from renewable sources such wind and solar energy by 2020, and requiring as much as 8 percent in energy efficiency savings.
» Imposing tighter performance standards on new coal-fired power plants and providing $1 billion a year in development money for capturing carbon dioxide from such plants.
» Establishing standards that will require new buildings to be 30 percent more energy-efficient by 2012 and 50 percent more efficient by 2016.
» Protecting consumers from rising energy costs by giving rebates and credits to low-income households.
© 2009 The Associated Press
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