BUDGET PLANS LEAVE GAPS IN FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION OF ENERGY LAW

The Bush administration's proposed fiscal year 2007 budget for EPA and other federal agencies funds Energy Policy Act (EPACT) mandates at levels often well below those Congress sought, leaving key decisions on implementing many of the provisions dependent on Capitol Hill or subsequent federal action, according to congressional and industry sources. The discrepancies mean a likely reprise of funding debates over programs ranging from efficiency-related initiatives to clean-coal technology spending, in a tight budget climate that is already hampering agencies'...