US Energy Bill Backs Ethanol, Not Oil Savings Plan

To stretch America’s gasoline supplies, a joint Senate-House conference committee racing to finish a U.S. energy bill voted late on Monday to almost double production of the motor fuel additive ethanol to 7.5 billion gallons a year by 2012.

However, the full panel rejected a proposal to reduce U.S. oil consumption by 1 million barrels per day and also turned down a plan to require utilities to generate more of their electricity from renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
Reuters