NEMA Endorses Building STAR Rebate Proposal
Proposal to Fund Energy-Efficient Commercial Building
Retrofits and Create Thousands of Jobs - NEMA Joins Major Business-Labor
Coalition to Urge Congress to Pass Critical Job Creation Bill
ROSSLYN, Va., March 15, 2010— The National Electrical Manufacturers
Association (NEMA) has joined a coalition of 80 contractor groups,
unions, manufacturers, businesses, financial services companies, and
energy-efficiency advocates to advance the adoption of Building STAR, a
proposal to makeover America's commercial and apartment building
infrastructure with more energy-efficient technologies, creating
thousands of jobs in the construction, manufacturing, and other
high-skilled sectors on the economy.
"Building STAR will provide significant rebates to focus on commercial
sectors hurt most by the current economic downturn," said NEMA President
and CEO Evan R. Gaddis. "By making our buildings more energy efficient,
we reduce energy waste and operating costs as well as create good jobs,
particularly among small businesses that would perform the vast majority
of work."
Introduced March 4 as S. 3079, Building STAR Energy Efficiency Rebate
Act of 2010, the bill is a package of rebates and financing incentives
for building owners to upgrade their property's energy efficiency,
including interior and exterior lighting, energy management, HVAC,
motors, and drives. It is estimated that the prospective $6 billion in
funding for the Building STAR program would spur $18 to $24 billion in
total program spending, creating up to 200,000 jobs, particularly for
the hard-hit construction industry, as well as manufacturing and other
industries.
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"Building STAR is the kind of performance-based incentive that attracts
broad bipartisan support and delivers real results in the near term,"
said Gaddis. "We urge Congress to include Building STAR in upcoming jobs
legislation.”
For more than 80 years, NEMA member companies have been leaders in
developing electrical standards, promoting electrical safety, and
providing energy solutions to our nation’s energy challenges.
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