Alliance to Save Energy among groups urging Congress for more energy efficiency funding
The Alliance to Save Energy is among a collation of organizations calling on Congress to fund energy efficiency programs at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Further, the organizations are seeking increased funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program.
“Investments to make our buildings, homes, and industry more efficient today lock in year after year of cost savings on energy bills,” Alliance President Paula Glover stated. “And at the same time, efficiency investments reduce climate-warming emissions and create jobs, with the efficiency workforce employing people in 99.8% of U.S. counties. This is money well spent.”
In two separate letters to Congressional leaders, the coalition highlights some of the highest impact programs that Congress should focus funding on in an infrastructure package. Specifically, they call for $325 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program; $530 million for the Buildings Technologies Office to help consumers and businesses achieve peak energy efficiency performance; $800 million for the Advanced Manufacturing Office for the development of industrial energy efficiency and advanced manufacturing technologies; and $56 million for the Federal Energy Management Program to help the federal government deploy efficiency solutions at its facilities.
“With a shoestring budget of less than $40 million, ENERGY STAR in 2019 alone saved American consumers and businesses $39 billion in energy costs. It also supports 800,000 jobs,” Glover said. “As we look to Build Back Better with a cleaner economy, let’s start with what clearly works and double this impact. Since the ENERGY STAR program began in 1992, it has accounted for more than 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions, equivalent to removing 870 million cars from the road. Doubling down will help the nation collectively achieve the Biden administration’s ambitious goal of reducing emissions 50% by 2030.”
The letters were signed by 75 organizations within the energy and related industries, led by the Alliance.
