Nebraska Senator Hagel

With energy legislation approved in the House, the focus turns to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota has indicated energy legislation will be considered in the early part of 2002. Senator Daschle recently introduced comprehensive legislation. As anticipated, S. 1766 includes a renewable fuels standard beginning at two billion gallons in 2002 and growing to five billion gallons in 2012. 

Alaska Senator Murkowski

This provision elicited praise from Senators Hagel of Nebraska and Chuck Grassley of Iowa. "We want to applaud the Majority Leader for including in his energy legislation a Renewable Fuel Standard which is very similar to that which Senate Energy Committee Republicans had agreed to several weeks ago," they said. "The Senate Republican Leadership and the Ranking Republican on the Energy Committee, Senator Murkowski of Alaska, have stated their commitment to the inclusion of a Renewable Fuel Standard in any final energy bill. Now with the Senate Democratic leadership committed to Renewable Fuel Standard, we are very confident of the outcome. These commitments ensure that a Senate energy bill will include a significant role for renewable fuels. We look forward to a full debate in the Senate on comprehensive energy legislation as soon as possible."