Bipartisan Bill Boosts Energy Efficiency  

March 3, 2010

 

Today, Chairman Bingaman, Ranking Republican Murkowski and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a bipartisan bill (S. 3059) to boost the national energy efficiency standards for a host of energy-intensive consumer products, including air conditioners, furnaces, street lights and heat pumps. This legislation – the National Energy Efficiency Enhancement Act of 2010 -- would implement several agreements which have been negotiated between appliance manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates; it also demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Senate Energy Committee to build on the bipartisan bill it reported last June -- the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009, or ACELA.

Sen. Bingaman (D-NM):  “Greater energy efficiency strengthens our economy, enhances our security, saves consumers money, creates jobs and reduces greenhouse gas pollution.  No single program or policy is going to completely end our nation’s waste of energy or its carbon emissions, but increased energy efficiency through cost-effective energy standards for appliances and consumer products remains the single most-powerful tool for meeting these goals.”

Sen. Murkowski (R-AK):  “The great potential of energy efficiency has spurred the Administration, Congress and efficiency advocates to work together to improve consensus appliance standards with the promise of shrinking energy bills.  Unfortunately, sometimes technology advances faster than the DOE rulemaking process for efficiency standards moves. I am hopeful that this bill will help get the process back on track while at the same time setting several efficiency standards that will benefit consumers.”

 

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