You'd never know it to read some of the diaries recently here at my beloved Redstate dailykos, but our Democrats in congress are crafting great bills in this SolveSomething Congress.
The Oiligarchy that runs this country took a little hit last week. Thanks to us. The SolveSomething Congress is doing great and we have come half way with the first Energy Bill.
But the Senate version narrowly lost one little piece of excellent legislation and YOU MUST call to put it back!
100+ MPG PHEV Legislation!
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Heres what this V2G technology will do, what legislation is needed, and who's on board so far, and who you should call:
Heres what it does:
Converting a hybrid to a plug in hybrid saves CO2 emissions, and helps stabilise the grid if it is set up as a V2G Vehicle to grid PHEV plugin hybrid elctric vehicle. This helps us add much more wind power to the grid, which our Democrats are trying to do. Daytime solar charging stations like this mean you could plug in during work and if you wanted, earn money for selling excess back to the grid.
Since plugging in your hybrid when you get home gets you to 100 MPG: it is smart legislation for your planet, your pocketbook and your peak oil.
This bill subsidises consumer purchases of Plug in hybrids, and EVs, jumpstarting the technology, like the Japanese did back in the early 90's to get hybrids themselves started.
Senate version:Baucus amendment PDF pg 53 - 57
III. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES
A. Expansion and Modification of Credit for Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicles
The proposal also allows a credit for each qualified plug-in vehicle placed in service during each taxable year by a taxpayer. The base amount of the credit is $2,500. If the qualified vehicle draws propulsion from a battery with at least 5 kilowatt-hours of capacity, the credit amount is increased by $400, plus another $400 for each kilowatt-hour of battery capacity in excess of 5 kilowatt-hours.
An all electric vehicle gets the maximum so it would qualify since all its power comes from electricity!
The maximum credit available for qualified plug-in vehicles is limited based on gross vehicle weight: $7,500 for vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds; $10,000 for vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds but not more than 14,000; $12,500 for vehicles weighing more than 14,000 pounds but not more than 26,000 pounds; and $15,000 for vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.
what vehicles qualify?
A new qualified plug-in vehicle is a motor vehicle which meets certain emissions standards and is propelled to a significant extent by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery which has a capacity of at least 4 kilowatt-hours and which is capable of being recharged from an external source of electricity.
Heres who voted for it the votes for the Baucus amendment to the Senate Energy Bill.
It failed in the Senate as you see, but not by enough to warrant us giving up on getting it into the final bill. Reid did not vote so he can try again, and Boxer was a new grandmother! and Johnson will get out hospital and Mcain actually is not bad on energy. So it is a majority vote piece of the bill when the final amalgamated House/Senate version is done.
The Freedom Act
Senator Obama's The Freedom Act is the same as the Baucus amendment, but it also includes a provision for $4000 off the current $12000 cost of convertinga hybrid to a plug-in hybrid, a PHEV.
This bill does not have a number yet, but it is very smart to include conversions, because this makes it more accessible to more people, by getting the cost down to $8000.
Think of what you pay for gasoline per year X 4 years? Most of us would amortise an $8000 investment in a habitable climate in 4 years.
These current hybrid models could be converted professionally to 100+ MPG PHEVs when the bill passes:
Toyota Prius
Ford Escape Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Lexus RX400h
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid.
...and ultimately any could be.
Conversions from all-blood cars to all-electric are currently more expensive so affordability would not be impacted by this bill:
Currently it ranges from $20000 to $55000 (ACPropulsion) to professionally convert your all blood gasoline car to a plug in but this subsidy could apply to these too. Another company doesMini Cooper conversions to EV.
House Version:HR1331:
Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a tax credit for new qualified plug-in hybrid motor vehicles. Now is the time for us to make sure this 100 MPG gets into the final Energy Bill.
Call your Rep. at (202) 224 3121 and ask them to vote for their Hybrids Not Hummers H.R. 1331 It has these good House members on board.
Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Allen, Thomas H. [ME-1] - 4/19/2007
Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 3/6/2007
Rep Baird, Brian [WA-3] - 3/23/2007
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 5/24/2007
Rep Becerra, Xavier [CA-31] - 3/6/2007
Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 4/19/2007
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] - 3/6/2007
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] - 4/19/2007
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 4/19/2007
Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] - 5/16/2007
Rep Burgess, Michael C. [TX-26] - 3/6/2007
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 3/23/2007
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 4/24/2007
Rep Cuellar, Henry [TX-28] - 3/6/2007
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] - 3/6/2007
Rep Davis, Lincoln [TN-4] - 3/6/2007
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 3/6/2007
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] - 4/24/2007
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 4/19/2007
Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 3/23/2007
Rep Edwards, Chet [TX-17] - 3/6/2007
Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. [MI-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Etheridge, Bob [NC-2] - 3/23/2007
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 3/6/2007
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 4/19/2007
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] - 3/6/2007
Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] - 3/6/2007
Rep Green, Al [TX-9] - 3/6/2007
Rep Green, Gene [TX-29] - 3/6/2007
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 3/23/2007
Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] - 3/6/2007
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 4/24/2007
Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] - 5/16/2007
Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] - 3/6/2007
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 4/19/2007
Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15] - 4/19/2007
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 3/6/2007
Rep Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] - 3/23/2007
Rep Hooley, Darlene [OR-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] - 3/6/2007
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] - 4/19/2007
Rep Jefferson, William J. [LA-2] - 3/6/2007
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] - 3/6/2007
Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [OH-11] - 3/23/2007
Rep Kanjorski, Paul E. [PA-11] - 3/6/2007
Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 3/6/2007
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep Lampson, Nick [TX-22] - 3/6/2007
Rep Lantos, Tom [CA-12] - 3/6/2007
Rep Larsen, Rick [WA-2] - 4/24/2007
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] - 4/24/2007
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 4/26/2007
Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 3/23/2007
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 3/6/2007
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 4/19/2007
Rep Matsui, Doris O. [CA-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 3/6/2007
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] - 3/6/2007
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 4/19/2007
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 3/6/2007
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21] - 3/23/2007
Rep Meehan, Martin T. [MA-5] - 3/6/2007
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] - 4/19/2007
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] - 3/6/2007
Rep Miller, Brad [NC-13] - 3/6/2007
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] - 3/6/2007
Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N. [CO-4] - 3/6/2007
Rep Napolitano, Grace F. [CA-38] - 3/6/2007
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 5/16/2007
Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] - 3/23/2007
Rep Rodriguez, Ciro D. [TX-23] - 3/6/2007
Rep Ross, Mike [AR-4] - 4/24/2007
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] - 4/19/2007
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 3/6/2007
Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] - 3/23/2007
Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] - 3/6/2007
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 3/6/2007
Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 3/23/2007
Rep Shuler, Heath [NC-11] - 3/6/2007
Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] - 5/24/2007
Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] - 4/24/2007
Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 3/6/2007
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] - 4/19/2007
Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] - 3/23/2007
Rep Tauscher, Ellen O. [CA-10] - 5/16/2007
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] - 3/6/2007
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] - 3/6/2007
Rep Udall, Tom [NM-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 3/6/2007
Rep Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] - 3/6/2007
Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] - 3/6/2007
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] - 3/6/2007
Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] - 3/6/2007
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 4/26/2007
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 3/6/2007
Rep Wu, David [OR-1] - 3/6/2007
The Bingaman 35 MPG Energy Bill last week was just the first step, getting us half way as I wrote back then, and if you get off your butts we'll get all the way, and pass the Sanders/Boxer Waxman Global Warming Bill.
I believe we kossacks were very instrumental in preventing the ghastly coal to liquids bill passing,
and
if we want good legislation to get us further than 35 miles on a gallon of blood oil, we can do this too.
To quote someone here Politics is like driving: to go forward put it in D, to go backward put it in R