Tax bill boosts oil, gas drilling _ and renewable energy

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tax bill moving forward in Congress would boost traditional forms of energy such as oil and gas while supporting renewable energy such as wind and solar power. It also would extend a hand to buyers of electric cars.

An agreement by House and Senate negotiators would open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, while preserving tax credits for wind power and other clean energy. The bill also extends a tax credit of up to $7,500 for purchases of plug-in electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt.

Opening the remote Arctic refuge to oil and gas drilling is a longtime Republican priority that most Democrats fiercely oppose. The 19.6-million-acre refuge is home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife.