By Kate Sheppard With only about three weeks left before Congress adjourns for election season, energy is the hot topic on the Hill. Here's where things stand: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other Democratic leaders in the House have outlined a new energy plan that proposes allowing drilling 100 miles off the Atlantic coast and Florida's Gulf coast. The buffer zone could be reduced to 50 miles if a state's governor and legislature consent (which is a big "if" ). The plan, which hasn't yet been formally released, also contains increased funding for renewable energy. They're calling it the "Comprehensive American Energy Security & Taxpayer Protection Act," and it includes a number of measures that have stalled previously -- curbing energy speculators, establishing a renewable electricity standard, and repealing subsidies to Big Oil. House Republicans are unlikely to go along with the proposal. Last week, before the Dems officially unveiled anything, House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) made it fairly clear that his party wants its energy bill or no energy bill at all. Yesterday he criticized the Democrats' new plan in a statement : "It leaves most American energy under lock and key when we should be doing everything possible to expand energy production, increase conservation, and promote development of clean, renewable energy. It would permanently lock up 80 percent of our nation's offshore energy resources -- holding hosta ...
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