In Case You Missed It: Industry Leaders Call for Action on Energy Efficiency Bill

Washington, D.C. – Today, a diverse coalition of industry leaders sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) requesting that the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2014 (EISC) be considered by the full Senate as soon as possible.

“This sensible, bipartisan legislation enjoys broad support in the business community. The bill’s sponsors have worked with industry every step of the way in crafting and vetting this legislation,” the group wrote. “A recently filed substitute amendment has generated even greater consensus among a growing stakeholder coalition that covers diverse economic sectors and environmental organizations. The substitute amendment has only strengthened – and broadened – the support of the U.S. business community, while multiplying the energy security and environmental benefits that will accrue from this landmark energy efficiency legislation.”

Text of the letter can be found below and full text with signatures can be found here.

Majority Leader Reid and Republican Leader McConnell:

We the undersigned, representing hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs, write to request that The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2014 (S. 2262) be considered by the full Senate as soon as possible.

This sensible, bipartisan legislation enjoys broad support in the business community. The bill’s sponsors have worked with industry every step of the way in crafting and vetting this legislation. The reintroduced bill has generated even greater consensus among a growing stakeholder coalition that covers diverse economic sectors and environmental organizations. The enhancements have only strengthened – and broadened – the support of the U.S. business community, while multiplying the energy security and environmental benefits that will accrue from this landmark energy efficiency legislation.

Energy efficiency enjoys broad, bipartisan support as a recent study commissioned by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Manufacturers demonstrated. Nine in ten of those polled support using energy efficient products and believe it is important to include energy efficiency as part of our country’s energy solutions. 74 percent of those polled support investing taxpayers’ dollars on energy efficient technologies, innovations and programs if it would save consumers more money. Finally, 69 percent of those polled are more likely to support investing taxpayers’ dollars on energy efficiency if those investments will not raise taxes or add to the federal deficit and do not involve government mandates on consumers.

S. 2262 places no new mandates on U.S. businesses or consumers. All new authorizations are fully offset. Provisions in this legislation will promote energy savings in commercial buildings and industrial facilities, which together consume nearly 50 percent of the nation’s primary energy. The bill will also reduce energy costs within the federal government, our nation’s largest energy consumer, saving taxpayers money.  

S. 2262 will also boosts the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and real estate by creating jobs in the manufacturing, contracting, construction, installation, distribution, design, and service sectors.

For these reasons, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources roundly endorsed the legislation with a strong bipartisan vote of 19-3. The legislation continues to gain additional cosponsors with Sens. Landrieu, Coons, Warner, Franken, Manchin, Collins, Ayotte, Wicker, Hoeven, Isakson, Murkowski and Bennett. The House recently passed several provisions contained in S.2262 by a vote of 375-36, another strong showing of support for energy efficiency.

Now is the time to act on this important legislation and we ask that S. 2262 be brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible.