Maine's Republican U.S. senators praised the massive energy bill adopted by the Senate just before midnight Thursday as a historic step toward ending America's dependence on foreign oil and addressing climate change.
Both Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins championed parts of the bill, which was widely seen as a triumph for the Senate's Democratic majority.
Snowe had worked for six years to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, and negotiated with fellow lawmakers this week to help gather enough votes to overcome a threatened filibuster.
"It is really a remarkable accomplishment," Snowe said. "It's been an uphill battle for so long."
Collins, who also supported the fuel efficiency increases, added an amendment to the bill to provide $275 million over five years to support research into alternative fuels, such as biofuel that University of Maine researchers are extracting from wood.
Collins also added an amendment -- and Snowe co-sponsored it -- to provide $60 million over six years to study abrupt climate change. The University of Maine also is involved in that research.
"UMaine will no doubt continue to play a pivotal role in the future of these crucial environmental and energy issues," Collins said in a news release.
The Senate voted 65-27 for the measure, which Snowe said Friday represents a major shift in energy policy toward conservation, efficiency and alternative fuels. "There is finally an awakening," she said.
The nation's first new across-the-board fuel efficiency standards since 1975 would require automakers to raise the fleet efficiency standard by 10 mpg, to 35 mpg, by 2020.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., had fought to instead pass a more auto industry-friendly fuel economy measure and said one reason for his effort's failure was growing public concern about global
warming. He called the auto industry "a juicy target."
Snowe said she is confident the auto industry has the technology to meet the fuel efficiency standards. "Unfortunately, the foreign automakers are capturing the market because they have the fuel-efficient vehicles," she said.
The House is expected to move its version of the bill forward as soon as next week.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at: jrichardson@pressherald.com Copyright © 2007 Blethen Maine Newspapers
