Senator Rob Portman Press Release:

June 04, 2013

Industry Leaders Call for Vote on Bipartisan Energy Efficiency Bill

More than 60 industries urge Senate leadership to take up and pass legislation to create jobs, drive national energy efficiency strategy

Washington, D.C. – Today, more than 60 U.S. industry leaders representing hundreds of thousands of jobs sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urging them to bring the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 761) to the Senate floor as soon as possible for a vote.  The bipartisan legislation was strengthened and reintroduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) earlier this year and has been endorsed by more than 250 entities ranging from businesses, environmental groups, think tanks, and trade associations.  Earlier this year, the legislation passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with broad, bipartisan support.

This industry letter comes on the heels of similar letters of support from the Business Roundtable and theAlliance to Save Energy.

In the letter, the industry leaders voice support for S.761, stating, “This sensible, bi-partisan legislation enjoys broad support in the business community. The bill’s sponsors have worked with industry every step of the way in crafting and vetting this legislation. S. 761 places no new mandates on U.S. businesses or consumers. All new authorizations are fully offset.”

In addition, they tout the bill’s deficit-neutral framework designed to promote the transition to a more energy efficient economy while driving economic growth and encouraging private sector job creation, noting that the bill will “reduce energy costs within the federal government, our nation’s largest energy consumer, saving the taxpayers money.”  The industry leader advocates add, “Reducing barriers to investment in existing energy efficiency technologies, as S. 761 does, boosts the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and creates jobs in the manufacturing, contracting, installation, distribution, and service sectors.”

The full text of the letter is below.  Read a signed copy here.

June 4, 2013

The Honorable Harry Reid           The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader                           Republican Leader
United States Senate                   United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510                Washington, DC 20510

Majority Leader Reid and Republican Leader McConnell:

We the undersigned, representing hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs, write to request that The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 761) be considered by the full Senate as soon as possible.

This sensible, bi-partisan legislation enjoys broad support in the business community. The bill’s sponsors have worked with industry every step of the way in crafting and vetting this legislation. S. 761 places no new mandates on U.S. businesses or consumers. All new authorizations are fully offset.

Energy costs money and S. 761 will save consumers both. Provisions in this legislation will promote energy savings in commercial buildings and industrial facilities, which together consume nearly 50% of the nation’s primary energy.

The bill will also reduce energy costs within the federal government, our nation’s largest energy consumer, saving the taxpayers money.

Reducing barriers to investment in existing energy efficiency technologies, as S. 761 does, boosts the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and creates jobs in the manufacturing, contracting, installation, distribution, and service sectors.

And quite simply, greater use of technologies that reduce energy consumption improves our country’s energy security.

For these reasons, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources roundly endorsed the legislation with a strong bipartisan vote. Energy efficiency is also viewed favorably in the House.

The American people are seeking cooperation from their elected officials and with the Senate’s leadership S. 761 can serve as a model of how Congress can still bridge the partisan divide to deliver results.

As supporters of this legislation, we ask that S. 761 be brought to the Senate floor as soon as possible for a vote.

ABM
Acuity Brands Lighting
Air Movement and Control Association International, Inc.
Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
Alliance for Industrial Efficiency
American Chemistry Council
American Foundry Society
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
Atlas Roofing Corporation
BASF
Bayer Corporation, Bayer MaterialScience LLC
Bosch
Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy
Consolidated Edison Solutions, Inc
Danfoss
DuPont
Eaton
Federal Performance Contracting Coalition
Firestone Building Products Company
GAF
General Aluminum Manufacturing Company
Geothermal Exchange Organization
Guttenberg Industries, Inc.
Hammond Power Solutions Inc.
Honeywell
Hubbell Inc.
Hunter Panels
Ingersoll Rand
International Union of Painters & Allied Trades
Johns Manville
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Legrand
Lennox International, Inc.
Leviton
LumenOptix
Lutron
Masco Corporation
Nalco, (an Ecolab Company)
National Association for State Community Services Programs
National Association of Energy Service Companies
National Association of Manufacturers
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
National Fluid Power Association
National Grid
National Small Business Association
New England Council
Nidec
Northwest Energy Efficiency Council
Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
Panduit
Philips
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association
Regal-Beloit Corporation
Rmax
Saint-Gobain
Schneider Electric
Siemens
TerraLUX
The Business Roundtable
The Stella Group, Ltd
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
United Technologies Corporation
Universal Lighting Technologies
VanTran Industries, Inc.
Window and Door Manufacturers Association