We're close. After two previous failed attempts earlier this year, Congress is poised to pass a comprehensive energy bill that would move us closer to becoming less dependence on oil — and on a greener path toward curbing greenhouse emissions.

The House is expected to clear its version of the energy bill as early as today, while the Senate remains just six votes shy of getting its version through.

The House plan provides a sensible approach to cutting our country's painful dependence on fossil fuels. For the first time in decades, it offers meaningful fuel-efficiency standards. Average fuel-economy standards for vehicles would jump to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, up from today's 25 miles per gallon. And that's no small matter. The new standard would have the same effect as taking 28 million vehicles off the road and would amount to saving 1.1 million barrels of oil per day by 2020 — half the oil imports from the Persian Gulf, said a Union of Concerned Scientists report.

The bill also calls for an increase in ethanol production from sources other than corn. That's a smart move, considering other sources are more efficient. Still, the environment, including our increasingly fragile water supply, must continue to be considered in the push for alternative fuel sources.

Renewable energy is another key part of the House plan. A $21 billion tax package aimed at reducing breaks for big oil companies and encouraging renewable energy sources was just added to the mix. The bill also would require that utilities generate at least 15 percent of their power from renewable sources, such as wind and solar. While that does not go far enough, it's a solid start.

Although President Bush has signaled that he might veto the bill, Congress should not settle for a watered-down version of the bill.

As a nation, we've been much too slow to embrace the push to curb climate change. This bill offers meaningful policy changes that set us on the right course. All that's needed is the political will in Congress to get it through.