SHAHEEN LEADS SENATE COALITION CALLING FOR VOTE ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY BILL

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) this evening led a coalition on the Senate floor calling for a vote on her bipartisan energy efficiency legislations the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC). The bill, co-sponsored by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), would help create more than 190,000 jobs, save consumers $16.2 billion a year, and cut CO2 emissions and other air pollutants by the equivalent of taking 22 million cars off the road – all by 2030.

“My bipartisan energy bill will create jobs, reduce pollution, make our country more energy secure and save taxpayers billions by making our country more energy efficient,” Shaheen said. “It’s disappointing that the bill has fallen victim to election year politics, but I won’t stop working to pass it on behalf of our economy and our environment. This bill is widely supported by members on both sides of the aisle and it’s time it received a vote.”

The deficit neutral bill uses a variety of low-cost tools to help energy users become more efficient while making the country’s largest energy user – the federal government – reduce its energy use through the use of energy-efficient technology.

Shaheen was joined by Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) this evening on the Senate floor. Shaheen’s legislation has received strong support from Democrats and Republicans alike and has been endorsed by industry leaders, energy-efficiency advocates and environmental stakeholders because it reduces pollution, saves consumers money and creates jobs.