美國參議院13日晚間通過了一項具里程碑意義的能源法案，是30年來首次要求提高汽車節能標準的法案。然而即便如此，該法案還是離民主黨所希望達成的目標很遠，因為他們被迫向共和黨以及布希政府屈服，同意刪除一項有關220億美元的稅收方案，當中原本規定要取消對石油公司的減稅優惠，用以支持促進再生能源的發展。
而刪除這個稅收方案可說是對再生能源產業的第二次打擊，本週稍早民主黨即已經對共和黨的要求作出了讓步，同意刪除一項有關再生電力的命令，儘管眾議院上週就已經通過這個條款，要求民營電力公共事業可獲得15%的電力。
在刪除一些爭議性措施之後，法案最終以86票對8票通過表決，但因為法案經過修改，因此眾議院可望於下週對該法案進行重新表決。布希政府也表示，總統將會簽署法案，使法案正式生效。
民主黨人士也表示，雖然他們對稅收方案的讓步以及刪除再生電力標準感到失望，但最後通過的這項能源法案仍然是一項歷史的成就。
The U.S. Senate approved a landmark energy bill Thursday night that requires the first increase in vehicle fuel economy standards in more than 30 years. But the bill is far less ambitious than Democrats wanted, as they bowed to pressure from Republicans and the Bush administration and removed a $22 billion tax package that would have cut tax breaks for oil companies and boosted support for renewable energy.
The removal of the tax package was a second blow to the renewable energy industry ?earlier in the week Democrats had ceded to Republican demands to remove a renewable electricity mandate from the bill. The provision, approved last week by the House, would have required investor-owned utilities get 15 percent of their electricity.
The scaled-back measure passed 86-8 and the House is expected to approve the bill next week. The Bush administration has indicated the president will sign the legislation into law.
Democrats noted disappointment at the demise of the tax package and the removal of a renewable electricity standard but said the final bill is still a historic achievement.
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