After weeks of little evident movement in Congress to reconcile differing House and Senate energy bills, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there has been "significant progress" and said she hopes that congressional negotiators can reach a deal the week of Dec. 3.

In a statement issued Nov. 26, Pelosi, a California Democrat, said, "We have made significant progress toward completing this package and hope to have a final agreement next week."

The Senate approved its energy measure in June and the House passed its version in September. Both emphasize energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, but there are some key differences.

The House bill includes a group of tax breaks, but the Senate's lacks a tax title. The House version also mandates that utilities get a specific share of their electric power from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, but the Senate bill has no such provision. On the other hand, the Senate measure sets tougher Corporate Average Fuel Economy requirements for motor vehicles, but the House bill does not.

Both measures have provisions that seek to promote energy-efficiency in buildings.