Daylight Plan Not Greeted as Sunny News

But the proposal, which House members want in the energy bill that Congress hopes to pass, has run into opposition -- from the airline industry, school and religious groups, and even the Department of Energy.

Supporters of extending daylight saving time -- which begins in April and ends in October -- by two months say the additional daylight in the evening would reduce electricity demand.

But the airline industry objects to the idea. It says that putting the United States "out of sync with most of the world's clocks" would wreak havoc on its schedules. School groups say it would force more children to wait for morning buses or walk to school in the dark.

An Orthodox Jewish group complains that the idea presents "serious consequences" for religious practice.

Even some farmers have complained.

"Cows don't pay attention to clocks," said Rep. Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy Committee.

"I didn't realize what a controversial topic daylight savings is until I started researching how many people it impacts," said Amy Sechler, director of legislative affairs for the National Assn. of Independent Schools. Her group is among those expressing concern about the change.

The dispute underscores how the myriad issues covered by the bill to overhaul the nation's energy policy ensure a variety of complications, potentially jeopardizing passage of the measure. Still, President Bush and lawmakers from both parties are eager to pass an energy bill to show their concern about high energy prices.

Some extension of daylight saving time is likely to be part of the bill, which includes a raft of provisions aimed at spurring energy conservation and production.

The measure before a House-Senate panel negotiating the bill calls for beginning daylight saving time a month earlier -- the first Sunday in March -- and ending it a month later -- the last Sunday in November. But the provision's chief sponsors could tinker with the dates in order to address the criticisms.

The issue has been debated for years. Year-round daylight saving time, tried during the 1970s Arab oil embargo, generated widespread complaints about schoolchildren waiting for buses on dark winter mornings.

The idea of extending daylight saving time was considered again during the 2000-01 California electricity crisis, but no bill made it through Congress.