March 6, 2014 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, HR 2126, by a staggering vote of 375 to 36. In addition to HR 2126, the legislation packages several important pieces to increase energy efficiency in commercial buildings, the federal government, and certain appliances. This includes a modified version of HR 540, the Energy Efficiency Government Technology Act; HR 4066, to modify efficiency standards for grid-enabled water heaters; and HR 3820, to encourage benchmarking in commercial buildings.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Alliance Honorary Vice Chair, Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). Credit: United States Congress

Two members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Alliance Honorary Vice Chair Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.) championed HR 2126, which is estimated to yield roughly $640 million in annual energy savings by 2030, create new jobs, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions with little cost to taxpayers and no government mandates.

The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act is a boon for the industry, establishing energy efficiency best practices for commercial tenants renting space in commercial buildings and requiring federal agencies to implement strategies to increase the efficiency of energy consuming data centers operated by the federal government. For utilities, the law will remove regulatory barriers to the manufacture of large scale water heaters, which act as residential energy storage devices and allow utilities to curb energy demand during peak hours. Further, the act enables a benchmarking and disclosure process for energy consumed in federally leased buildings. 

 

The built environment is the largest energy consuming sector in the U.S. economy.

"Energy efficiency is the cheapest, cleanest and most abundant national resource," said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. "And, the more our national leaders find ways to tap into this important resource, the more energy productive our economy will become. And, when we are more energy productive we are creating jobs and reducing emissions associated with energy production and use."

Based on the passage of HR 2126, momentum for energy efficiency could be building, as the Senate is expected to soon consider the re-introduction Shaheen-Portman bill -- the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act. 

For more:
- see bill HR 2126
- see bill HR 540
- see bill HR 4066
- see bill HR 3820

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