Between the Senate energy bill and the energy bill the House just passed, it's hard to say which is worse.

Between the Senate energy bill and the energy bill the House just passed, it's hard to say which is worse. It looked like the Senate bill's awfulness would be hard to surpass: It calls for a 40 percent increase in automobile fuel-efficiency standards that would make cars less safe and more expensive, and also for a costly expansion of the ethanol mandate. The House bill does not include either provision, but it has others just as bad. House Democrats amended it during a rare Saturday session to require that utilities generate 15 percent of their power using solar, wind, and other renewable-energy sources by 2020. Such dirigisme would increase electricity costs, especially in the South, where wind power has a poor track record. The bill raises taxes on oil and gas companies, which will almost certainly yield higher prices for the consumer. Finally, the bill authorizes individuals to sue government agencies for damages if those agencies don't meet arbitrary greenhouse-gas emissions targets. We can think of better ways to reduce government hot air, most of which involve Congress keeping its hands off the energy market.