TECHNOLOGY DAILY: LOBBYISTS PUSH FOR TECHNOLOGY ITEMS IN ENERGY BILL

Technology Daily
December 10, 2007
On The Hill: Lobbyists Push For Technology Items In Energy Bill
by Heather Greenfield

As senators negotiate possible revisions to House-passed energy legislation, technology industry association representatives spent Monday morning on Capitol Hill lobbying in advance of an afternoon meeting of lawmakers that could decide whether some tech-favored provisions are removed.

The House passed the bill Thursday. The action on Monday comes after Republicans blocked the bill from going to the Senate floor Friday. The two most controversial measures are both ones that the tech industry would like to see passed, both to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil and spur competition in environmentally friendly "green tech" innovations.

Some senators are upset that the House moved to strip $13 billion in tax incentives from the oil and gas industry and directed it to renewable energy industries. Democrats have argued that removing those tax breaks was a critical way to pay for the legislation under the pay-as-you-go rule, which the House passed early this year.

Other senators are not onboard with language backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. It would require utilities to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Those are among six provisions the tech industry lobbied heavily for in the House bill. The bill also contains tax incentives for green technologies, including one that would expand solar-panel credits from commercial buildings to residences.

"We've been much more engaged in the energy debate as a whole than we have been in the past as an industry," said Brian Peters, a lobbyist for the Information Technology Industry Council. "As an industry, we believe we can innovate our way through America's energy challenges so we're very confident this can do good things."

ITI also is pleased that the energy legislation includes several initiatives that are not controversial and are more aimed at getting the bill passed, he said. One would use information technology to modernize the nation's energy grid and improve energy efficiency. ITI and other tech associations also lobbied for an industry-led efficiency program for data centers.

"We have smart solutions," Peters said. "They'll make us grow jobs and keep us competitive."

Those monitoring the measure may know as early as this afternoon whether the bill emerges without the renewable-energy tax credits and renewable requirements for utilities.

"We appreciate the political situation," said Betsy Mullins, a lobbyist for TechNet. "We're working hard to get the most comprehensive bill through."

One key to whether the energy bill can go to the Senate floor and win passage is Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, whose support could bring aboard moderate Republicans. Grassley issued a statement on Friday saying he hopes a compromise can be reached because there is much he likes about the energy bill -- including greater fuel-efficiency standards for cars.

"Don't get me wrong, we'll get an energy bill passed," Grassley said. "It will be one that we can all work with, not a bill that was pulled from well-intentioned negotiators and then changed before being passed in the House."