An Energetic Compromise

THE ENERGY BILL APPROVED BY THE HOUSE LAST week had something for everyone to hate. Conservationists didn't like the streamlined rules for approving new nuclear power plants, or the absence of stricter fuel-economy standards for cars. Conservatives were bugged by the banning until 2002 of new offshore oil drilling along most of the U.S. coast. But there was something for every interest group to love as well, and while nobody was entirely satisfied with the patchwork that finally emerged from committee, the legislation sailed through in the end.

Environmentalists probably had the most to celebrate. The House bill not only bars new offshore drilling for the next decade but also offers incentives for companies that develop alternative, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. It requires the government to buy vehicles that run on non- gasoline fuels, including natural gas and electricity, and promotes energy- saving standards for private construction, appliances, electric motors and lights. Like the Senate version, it does not permit oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, which President Bush had wanted to allow.

Some probusiness sections of the bill are at least palatable to environmentalists as well. One provision that reduces the regulatory barriers to construction of natural-gas pipelines pleased the gas companies but also promised increased use of this relatively clean energy source. Even the nuke- licensing provisions are less threatening than they seem: although it would take fewer steps to get a nuclear power plant licensed, antinuclear sentiment still runs strong, and the prospect of any new plants in the foreseeable future is nil.

One thing the bill avoided was any strong action to deal with the nation's excessive appetite for oil. Besides avoiding new auto standards, it neither raises gasoline taxes nor forces oil companies to pay for expanding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to reduce reliance on foreign oil. That made environmentalists cringe, but also made the House and Senate energy bills compatible; the final legislation could become law by summer's end.