Congressional negotiators resolved their remaining differences on Tuesday over the energy bill, paving the way for a vote on the long-awaited legislation before the end of the week.

Lawmakers removed controversial provisions that helped to sink previous efforts at energy reform in the first term of President George W. Bush. The bill no longer offers legal immunity to producers of MTBE--a gasoline additive that contaminated ground water. Nor does it grant permission for drilling for oil and natural gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.