Congress struck a last-minute bipartisan deal on a major energy bill expected to pass on Monday as part of the omnibus package to fund the federal government. The energy bill includes increased funding for renewable and energy efficiency programs. It also includes a landmark deal to phase out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are especially potent greenhouse gases. The legislation soon to be heading to the president’s desk requires an 85 percent phase out of HFCs over 15 years, meaning the U.S. would join more than 170 other countries that have already made this commitment. Global phase out on this scale could avoid a 0.5 degree Celsius of warming by the end of the century.
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