The energy bill just passed by the U.S. House is far from perfect, but it would give the nation a hearty push toward energy conservation, a push Congress has avoided for too long.

The most important features would, by 2020, raise vehicle fuel-economy standards to 35 miles per gallon and require that 15 percent of electricity be produced from renewable sources.

That standard for renewables would be difficult in states like Florida now heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Yet Republican Gov. Charlie Crist wants the state to be 20 percent renewable by 2020, and if Florida can achieve that, the 15 percent standard is reasonable elsewhere.

Opponents of the bill make many valid points.

Cattlemen complain that requiring more ethanol fuel will raise the price of corn, which raises the price of cattle feed, which raises the price of meat, which hurts both consumers and ranchers. Corn is not the best crop for ethanol, and as demand rises for ethanol fuel, a broader array of crops can be used.

In any case, oil too has uses in a variety of industries and products, and burning it as fuel also raises prices elsewhere.

The bill includes incentives for wind and solar power and plug-in hybrid cars. Some conservatives complain that it interferes with markets and picks winners and losers, yet at the same time they object to ending tax incentives for oil companies, which also discourage investment in other energy sources.

President Bush is threatening a veto if the bill reaches his desk. He says the bill would hurt the economy by, among other things, raising the price of electricity. The bill's defenders, including Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa, say the transition to homegrown or renewable fuels will save money in the long run.

Both may be correct. The choice is how long to delay an inevitable switch. With demand rising in China, India and throughout the developing world, the days of cheap oil appear over.

And already much of the rest of the world is ahead of the United States in conservation. Israel, for example, saves energy by heating almost all of its water through solar power.

It is time the United States began to catch up.

The proper role of the government here is worth debating. Requiring cars to go farther on a gallon of gas for example does interfere with consumer choices. Supporters of stricter standards say more efficient cars and trucks will save consumers $40 billion a year at the pump. Critics say it will raise the price of cars and force motorists into vehicles that are lighter and less safe.

The Florida delegation split mostly along party lines, with Castor and six other Democrats voting for the bill and Gus Bilirakis, 15 other Republicans and one Democrat voting against it. The bill passed the House 235 to 181, but the Senate on Friday delayed considering it.

Opponents understandably fear the costs of the mandates and taxes, but they forget that developing clean, domestic energy sources would create new industries and jobs, invigorate the economy and eventually free the nation of its dependence on foreign oil. And those are worthy goals regardless of the bill's environmental benefits.