Despite objections from Democratic lawmakers, the House Resources Committee voted to allow oil companies to drill in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Giving oil companies access to the refuge's 1.5-million acre coastal plain and billions of barrels of crude oil is a key part of the Bush administration's national energy plan to help reduce US oil imports.

The committee voted 30 to 13 against a Democratic-sponsored amendment to drop the ANWR drilling language.

The panel's bill calls for the Interior Department to lease to oil companies at least 200,000 acres in the coastal plain within two years after the legislation is signed into law.

Separately, the House Ways and Means Committee approved $8 billion in tax breaks and financial incentives to boost US energy infrastructure and encourage the use of certain energy technologies.

The panel's legislation provides a tax credit up to $2,000 for individuals who purchase solar water heating equipment and a 10 percent investment tax credit for businesses that use solar energy to generate electricity, or heat or cool a structure.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee was working late on Wednesday to finish its part of the House's broad energy bill.

The panel voted earlier in the day against requiring US automakers to ratchet up fuel efficiency to a fleet average of 33 miles per gallon by 2014 from the current 27.5 mpg for passenger cars.

Democrat Edward Markey of Massachusetts, who sponsored the proposal, said higher fuel standards were needed to reduce oil demand and make the United States less dependent on foreign petroleum suppliers like OPEC.

"The price of oil is controlled by OPEC," said Markey. "We can't break (the cartel) up."

US oil demand averages averages 21 million barrels a day, with imports supplying three of every five barrels consumed.

With gasoline demand the biggest component of oil consumption at about 40 percent, many environmentalists say the only way to significantly reduce petroleum demand is to boost vehicle fuel efficiency.

But committee Democrats from Michigan, where the auto industry is based, said Congress can't mandate what type of automobiles Detroit should make.

"People are driving around in big cars, because they like them, because they feel safe," said Democrat John Dingell of Michigan.

Opponents to the amendment said higher mileage requirements would force automakers to produce dangerous, small cars to meet the stronger fuel standard.

"You'll never get your soccer moms and soccer kids in there," said Democrat Bart Stupak of Michigan, referring to the feared subcompact vehicles. "It's not what Americans want."

The panel was also expected to defeat a Democratic-led move to strike a provision in the bill that protects major oil companies from lawsuits over the water-polluting gasoline additive MTBE.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas wants the MTBE liability waiver be part of energy legislation, even though the Senate rejected an energy bill last year largely because of the MTBE protection.