California Revives Oil Conservation Legislation Amid Katrina Aftermath

Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the Gulf Coast has prompted California Assembly leaders this week to revive legislation that would require the state to reduce its petroleum use, in part by mandating that air and energy regulations focus on energy efficiency and alternative fuels. The California legislation may foreshadow efforts on the national level as Congress also searches for ways to ease fuel disruptions caused by the hurricane and diversify the nation's energy supplies to avoid future shortages. The California legislation,...