On Thursday April 30th, CRES ally and U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that President Obama had signed The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act into law. The bi-partisan legislation promotes energy efficiency in commercial buildings in three ways:
- The Better Buildings Act is a new voluntary energy program within the current Energy Star framework.
- The Grid-Enabled Water Heaters Act creates new regulations for smart grid-enabled water heaters.
- The Energy Information for Commercial Buildings Act enforces benchmarking and public disclosure of energy usage for buildings so facility managers and building occupants can better understand current energy performance level of their space.
“Electric co-ops across the country appreciate the incredible perseverance of Senators Portman, Shaheen, and many others for their leadership in passing S. 535,” said National Rural Electric Cooperative CEO Jo Ann Emerson. “The bill helps save consumers money, promotes reliability of the grid, and helps integrate renewable energy – truly a win-win-win piece of legislation.”
Senator Portman has made promoting alternate energy technologies and economic growth via energy innovation a key component of his legislative career. He has been a leader in supporting responsible energy policies and using natural resources in an efficient way. The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act is the first the energy bill to be signed into law this Congress.
“I’m pleased the President has signed my bill into law because it is good for the economy and good for the environment,” said Portman. “This is an important part of our energy plan for America that can help bring jobs back, help make our manufacturers more competitive, and actually help to protect the environment. I’ll continue to work for passage of my larger bill and a national energy strategy that boosts American workers while protecting the environment at the same time.”
Polling conducted by TargetPoint Consulting on behalf of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions has shown that producing more energy and using it wisely is an issue that voter across the country and in Ohio care about. 74% of Ohio voters – including 77% of Republicans – believe that energy policy, specifically the exploration and development of both traditional and renewable energy sources, should be a high priority for congress. Moreover, 85% of Ohio voters, including 77% of Republicans, agree that “it is in the best interest of the United States to diversity our energy sources to include renewable resources of energy like wine, solar, and hydropower.”
CRES Thanks you Senator Rob Portman, for continuing to champion the common sense and conservative energy solutions while putting an end to the gridlock surrounding America’s energy future in Washington D.C.!