Twenty-Five Organizations Submit Policy Recommendations to Congressional Energy Bill Conferees
Support Key Sustainable Energy Provisions in
Senate Bill and Call for Additional Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Incentives
July 13, 2005 — By Sustainable Energy Coalition
WASHINGTON, DC — In a letter sent today, 25 member groups of the Sustainable
Energy Coalition submitted a series of detailed recommendations to the Members
of the U.S. Senate selected to serve on the House-Senate Conference on the
Energy Policy Act of 2005. The signers to the letter urged the conferees to "set
the country on a path to substantially reduce the level of energy imports,
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and begin the transition towards a
sustainable energy economy by dramatically increasing the use of domestically
available renewable energy resources and energy efficient technologies." (The
letter will be forwarded to the House conferees as soon as their names are
officially announced).
The signers to the letter urged the conferees to "set the country on a path to
substantially reduce the level of energy imports, reduce emissions of greenhouse
gases, and begin the transition towards a sustainable energy economy by
dramatically increasing the use of domestically available renewable energy
resources and energy efficient technologies."
The groups specifically expressed support for 10 key sustainable energy
provisions found in the Senate version of the energy bill. These include a
long-term, broadly based production tax credit, a Renewable Portfolio Standard,
an environmentally sound Renewable Fuels Standard, energy efficiency standards
for appliances, a national oil savings goal, long-term energy efficiency and
renewable energy tax credits, and robust authorization levels for federal
sustainable energy R&D programs.
In addition, the groups proposed five additional measures, not found in either
the House or the Senate bills that should be incorporated into the final energy
bill. These include improved fuel efficiency standards for cars and light
trucks, provisions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and national standards
for interconnection and net metering for distributed renewable energy
technologies.
Noting that "Congress now has an opportunity to put this country on the path to
a clean energy future that can create jobs, save consumers money and reduce the
threat of climate change," the groups urged that "the final bill provide
sufficient incentives, authorizations, and policies to move our country towards
a sustainable energy future."
The full text of the letter and list of signers are provided in full below.
About the Sustainable Energy Coalition
The Sustainable Energy Coalition is a coalition of nearly 100 national and state
business, consumer, environmental, and energy policy organizations which
collectively represent several thousand companies and community-based
organizations. Founded in 1992, the Sustainable Energy Coalition works to
promote increased use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION
1612 "K" Street, N.W.; #202-A
Washington, D.C. 20006
202-293-2898, x.201
Recommendations for the House-Senate Conference on the Energy Policy Act of 2005
July 12, 2005
Senate Conferees
Energy Policy Act of 2005
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Attn: Energy Policy Staff
Dear Senator:
As you prepare for the House-Senate Conference on the Energy Policy Act of 2005,
we urge you to ensure that the final bill provides sufficient incentives,
authorizations and policies to move our country towards a sustainable energy
future. To achieve this goal, we believe that the conference report should set
the country on a path to substantially reduce the level of energy imports,
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, and begin the transition towards a
sustainable energy economy by dramatically increasing the use of domestically
available renewable energy resources and, energy efficient technologies.
To realize these goals, the conference report should incorporate the following,
which were included in the Senate legislation:
1.) A long-term production tax credit, that benefits the cross-section of
commercially available and emerging renewable energy technologies;
2.) A national Renewable Portfolio Standard, at least as robust as that included
in the Senate legislation;
3.) Long-term tax credits for energy efficiency and renewable energy
technologies that reduce emissions and encourage the use of new energy sources;
4.) Permanent or long-term, unrestricted reauthorization of Energy Savings
Performance Contracting (ESPCs), which allow private financing of
energy-efficiency improvements to federal buildings;
5.) A Renewable Fuels Standard at least at the level provided by the Senate, if
it is accompanied by language to prevent any environmental backsliding;
6.) The provisions in the Senate’s Renewable Fuels Standard that support the
production of ethanol from cellulosic materials;”
7.) Additional new energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment,
8.) A requirement for states to consider Energy Efficiency Resource Standards
and a pilot program to begin implementation of those standards;
9.) A significant oil savings goal, buttressed by adding enforcement language to
the current Senate provision;
10.)Robust authorizations for research, development, demonstrations and purchase
requirements for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Additionally, the conference report should include provisions, missing in both
the House and Senate versions of the bill, which are vital towards moving us
towards a sustainable energy future:
1.) Modest improvements in standards for corporate average fuel economy (CAFE)
that would require fuel efficiency standards for automobiles and light duty
trucks to meet a 40 mile per gallon (mpg) level by 2020 and other accommodations
for national oil savings
2.) National standards for net metering and interconnection to facilitate the
development of distributed renewable energy technologies and enhanced
transmission and distribution grid reliability. These standards must include fee
schedules that accommodate very small distributed generation equipment
3.) Authorization levels for federal renewable energy and energy efficiency
program budgets that are at least twice as high as current levels;
4.) Provisions to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
including, but not limited to, a cap-and-trade system.
5.) Additional investment tax credits for renewable and efficiency technologies
such as small distributed wind turbines.
Congress now has an opportunity to put this country on the path to a clean
energy future that can create jobs, save consumers money and reduce the threat
of climate change. We look forward to working with you to create an energy
policy for the 21st century that provides for energy security and sustainability
while reducing our dependence on finite energy resources.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Alliance for Affordable Energy
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
American Solar Energy Society
American Wind Energy Association
Bob Lawrence & Associates
Breakthrough Technologies Institut
Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Cascade Associates
Clean Fuels Development Coalition
Colorado Energy Group
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Geothermal Resources Council
National Environmental Trust
Natural Resources Defense Council
NewBio E Systems Inc.
New Community Project
Northwest SEED
Redwood Alliance
Solar Energy Industries Association
The Stella Group, Ltd.
Sterling Planet, Inc.
SustainableBusiness.com
Union of Concerned Scientists
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Contact:
Ken Bossong
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION
1612 "K" Street, N.W.; #202-A
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 293-2898 x201