WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) is cosponsoring updated bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to spur the use of energy-efficient technologies in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy.
The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, also known as “Shaheen-Portman,” will strengthen building energy codes for homes and commercial real estate, incentivize the use of more efficient motors and transformers, and introduce energy-saving guidelines for the federal government, among other provisions. The updated bill builds on legislation cosponsored by Senator Coons and considered by the Senate in September 2013.
“Investing in energy efficiency is a simple way to create jobs, save money, and build a better future for our country,” Senator Coons said. “Older, energy-inefficient buildings cost our government and businesses millions every year in inflated energy bills. The Shaheen-Portman bill will help the federal government, communities, and industries across our nation realize the significant cost savings that come with energy-efficiency upgrades. I was frustrated to see progress on the original bill stall in the Senate last year, but I am even more encouraged by the updated legislation introduced this week. This bipartisan bill is an important signal to the private sector that energy efficiency is a critical policy priority that Democrats and Republicans can come together to support.”
The reintroduced Shaheen-Portman legislation uses a variety of low-cost tools to help energy users become more efficient while making the country’s largest energy user – the federal government – reduce its energy use through the use of energy-efficient technology. The deficit neutral bill incentivizes the use of efficiency technologies that are commercially available today, can be widely deployed across the country, and quickly pay for themselves through energy savings. The reintroduced bill incorporates an additional 10 bipartisan provisions that will help the United States transition to a more energy-efficient economy while driving economic growth and private sector job creation.
A study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates that Shaheen-Portman will create more than 190,000 jobs, save consumers $16.2 billion a year, and cut CO2 emissions and other air pollutants by the equivalent of taking 22 million cars off the road – all by 2030.
The new version of Shaheen-Portman is cosponsored by Senators Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).