UPDATED, 7:45 P.M. ET ON 6/26/09: The House has passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, by a vote of 219-212. Read the details.

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday afternoon won a narrow test vote to advance the American Clean Energy and Security Act to a full vote by the House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged to get the legislation passed before lawmakers leave on their July 4 recess.

Speaking yesterday from the Rose Garden, President Barack Obama predicted a close vote for the bill, saying, "I know this is going to be a close vote, in part because of the misinformation that's out there that suggests there's somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and our economic growth. But my call to those members of Congress who are still on the fence, as well as to the American people, is this: We cannot be afraid of the future, and we can't be prisoners of the past. We've been talking about this issue for decades, and now is the time to finally act."

The American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454, was cosponsored by two Democratic representatives, California's Henry Waxman and Massachusetts' Edward Markey. One of its main elements is the cap-and-trade provision, which supporters say will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 83 percent by 2050. Opponents of the bill, largely Republican, have called it a "cap and tax" bill that will cost American consumers.

The cap-and-trade provision will cost the average household $175 annually by 2020, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office. However, because of direct rebates included in the provision, low-income households could see a net benefit of $40 per year.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy analyzed the bill's energy-efficiency provisions, including those aimed at smart-grid appliances and a best-in-class deployment program, and found an average saving of $1,050 per household by 2020.

"This sweeping legislation represents a significant first step in our nation's ability to address global climate change. And importantly, it moves us forward on the path toward creating clean energy jobs of the future," says Ellen Bloom, director of federal policy for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of this blog and Consumer Reports magazine. "As the bill works its way through Congress, we look forward to working to ensure that, as policymakers continue their efforts to achieve the important goals of capping greenhouse gas emissions and creating new clean energy jobs, they do so in a way that does not unfairly burden American consumers."—Daniel DiClerico | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook