The journey to a state budget requires a thousand steps, and Gov. Ed Rendell and legislative leaders took a big leap in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

They reached agreement on the outline of next year's spending plan, which is a relief to state employees who could have been furloughed by a budget impasse and to Fourth of July travelers who could have been shut out of state parks and campgrounds over the three-day holiday weekend.

Still unknown are most of the budget's details, but this much seems certain: Although state officials weren't able to pass a final budget by today, the start of the new fiscal year, the accord at the top means approval should come from the House and Senate later this week.

The compromise, according to The Associated Press, would allow for $28.2 billion in spending for 2008-09. That's 3.8 percent more than in the previous year, but $120 million less than Mr. Rendell initially requested. While state leaders said there would be no general tax increases (good news), significant funding boosts would go to education; essential infrastructure like bridges, dams and water and sewer systems; and alternative energy projects (more good news).

Every budget line will become clear in the days to come, but already groups that wanted to see an ambitious new energy policy have expressed disappointment. While the spending deal will apparently include $650 million for the expansion of alternative energy sources, other key parts of the package, as outlined in House Bill 2200, failed to gain backing in the Senate. The measure would have produced a fuel efficiency and conservation plan that cuts energy use in Pennsylvania by an estimated 2.5 percent over the next five years.

Although the General Assembly can -- and should -- take up the issue in the fall, advocates won't have the leverage of the budget and its deadline to get it done. There may be more examples of missed opportunities as other details surface this week, which is why the public's delight over the spending agreement should be tempered with caution.