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New Mexico's senators say House Democratic leaders are jeopardizing the best chance in years to raise car and truck gas-mileage standards.

With gas prices topping $3 a gallon in most states, the House is expected to vote this week on an energy bill that would raise the mileage standard from 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and 22.5 miles per gallon for pickup trucks and minivans to a combined fleet average per automaker of 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

"It would be a major achievement," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the Silver City Democrat who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"It would be a giant saver of petroleum," said Sen. Pete Domenici of Albuquerque, the ranking Republican on the committee.

They also support the bill's mandate for increased use of bio-fuels from corn and other plants

But Bingaman and Domenici both said they were surprised to learn over the weekend that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, plans to include a third mandate, one that the senators fear jeopardizes the whole bill when it reaches the Senate.

The provision in dispute would require utilities in every state to get at least 15 percent of their electricity from wind and solar power by 2020. Environmental groups strongly back the mandate.

Bingaman does too, but when he tried to pass it in the Senate it was blocked by Domenici and senators from southern states, which have little wind power.

Bingaman said he and Domenici agreed the renewable electricity standard should not be in the final energy bill. They thought Pelosi had agreed, too.

Bingaman returned from a foreign trip last week and said he was surprised to learn over the weekend that the electricity standard was now in the House bill.

Bingaman was with a congressional delegation to Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and Colombia last week, talking trade and efforts to curb drug trafficking.

Domenici said it appears that Pelosi "has gone back on her word and chosen to go her own path on the energy bill."

White House officials added to the pressure on Pelosi on Monday by threatening that Bush would veto if the bill if the renewable electricity standard is included or if Congress adds a tax increase to the bill.

Asked if he was optimistic a bill would pass, Bingaman said, "I don't think it's done yet. We've got some hurdles to jump."