The House of Representatives could consider U.S. omnibus energy legislation in the next few weeks.
The House energy and commerce committee allowed few changes to the bill in a rapid markup Mar. 11, and reported out the legislation 42-1. The lone dissenter was Rep. Bill Dannemeyer (R-Calif.).
The House interior committee now will consider the offshore drilling portion of the bill and the science committee the energy research section.
House Speaker Tom Foley (D-Wash.) said he wants to bring the bill to the House floor late in April. That would enable a House-Senate conference committee to begin marking their bills by summer.
The House and Senate bills would facilitate most forms of energy production and encourage conservation. Neither would allow drilling on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain.
The major difference between the bills is that the Senate measure has a chapter to facilitate the licensing of nuclear power plants (OGJ, Nov. 11, 1991, p. 18).
Energy committee chairman Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and energy and power subcommittee chairman Rep. Phil Sharp (D-Ind.) speeded the markup by agreeing beforehand with other committee members on 41 changes to the bill.
One change deleted a provision giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission a limited exemption from the Sunshine Act so commissioners could discuss pending rules.
The committee retained a provision to require refiners and importers to set aside 1% of their crude shipments to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, currently at 570 million bbl, to the authorized 1 billion bbl. They would be paid in cash or crude in the event of a drawdown.
AMENDMENTS NOT OFFERED
Several planned amendments were not offered.
Rep. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) had planned to offer an amendment to ensure equal rate treatment for U.S. gas and Canadian imports. Richardson explained he lacked the votes for his amendment, and FERC plans to take a similar step anyway in its pending "mega-NOPR" rulemaking.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) did not offer a global warming amendment that would have required the U.S. to stabilize carbon dioxide emissions at 1990 levels by 2000 and reduce them 20% by 2005.
And Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) did not offer an amendment requiring gas pipelines to refund customers that FERC determines have been overcharged. Currently, FERC can order a pipeline only to lower its future rates.
Energy Sec. James Watkins praised the committee for prompt action on the legislation.
But Watkins said DOE disagrees with parts of the measure.
Nicholas Bush, Natural Gas Supply Association president, said the bill "includes great strides for making the natural gas industry more efficient and competitive."
Copyright 1992 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
