Murkowski pushes energy efficiency in manufacturing

March 26, 2009
03:46 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 CONTACT: ROBERT DILLON (202) 224-6977
MARCH 26, 2009                                                      or ANNE JOHNSON (202) 224-7875                                   
 
MURKOWSKI PUSHES ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN MANUFACTURING
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today gave the following opening statement at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on industrial energy technology:
 
Mr. Chairman, thank you for convening this hearing today.  Today’s bill, S. 661, The Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, truly looks toward the future of manufacturing in the United States.
 
Over the last few decades, our global competitors have improved their productivity and have captured high-value manufacturing capabilities and products that were invented here in the U.S.  This bill will help to revive and strengthen our industrial competitiveness and to restore our status as a manufacturing leader.
 
A major focus of the bill is to improve the energy efficiency and energy productivity within the industrial sectors. 
 
We should always seek to find ways to get as much or more output from the same or less amounts of energy.
 
To this end, the bill also establishes public-private partnerships that will develop and deploy new technologies and processes.  These partnerships will help ensure the commercialization of these new technologies.
 
I’d like to thank all of our witnesses for joining us today.  I look forward to hearing your testimony and getting your thoughts on the bill.  Mr. Chairman, thank you again for convening this important hearing.
 
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