SHAHEEN: TIME IS NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY

(Bow, N.H.) – A coalition of business leaders and advocates joined Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) this morning at Grappone Toyota in Bow to support her bipartisan energy efficiency legislation which could come to the Senate floor as early as this week.  Shaheen also toured Grappone’s new LEED certified facility which has recently undergone renovations to become more energy efficient. Shaheen’s bill, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competiveness Act, would establish a national energy efficiency strategy to help businesses and consumers across the country reduce their energy use and cut energy costs.

Shaheen was joined by Nancy Kyle of the Retail Merchants Association, Will Tagye of Velcro USA, Tom Sullivan of Sullivan Construction, Jim Brett of the New England Council and Amanda Grappone Osmer of Grappone Toyota. In a recent remodel of their facility, Grappone Toyota has implemented several energy efficient initiatives to cut their energy costs, including the installation of solar panels, energy efficient lighting, and an energy dashboard to monitor energy use throughout the entire facility.

“New Hampshire is quickly becoming a national leader in energy efficiency and it is because of the initiatives like those at Grappone Toyota and all the great companies that joined me this morning,” Shaheen said. “Now it’s time to implement a national energy efficiency strategy because that will help us create jobs and strengthen our economy.”

“The bipartisan energy efficiency plan I introduced with Senator Rob Portman of Ohio will make this goal a reality. Energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest way to address our energy challenges and I am hopeful we can move this bill forward without delay. It is the right thing to do for our economy, our environment, and our future,” Shaheen added.

“The Grappone Toyota was thrilled to host Senator Shaheen this morning as she promotes her energy efficiency  policy,” said Amanda Grappone, fourth generation owner of Grappone Toyota. “Our team spent almost four years planning and designing a LEED Certified facility that puts our team members and customers front and center. The energy efficiencies we’ll gain are another major highlight, and we’re proud to share this building with the entire New Hampshire community we serve.”

The Shaheen-Portman legislation builds upon several Shaheen-Portman energy provisions that were signed into law last year and offers a deficit-neutral framework to promote the transition to a more energy efficient economy while driving economic growth.

The bill passed through the Senate Energy Committee on a strong bipartisan vote of 19-3 and has received resounding support from a broad coalition of business, labor and environmental leaders.  A study by experts at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy found that last year’s version would have saved consumers $4 billion by 2020 and helped businesses add 80,000 jobs to the economy.