Union Leader - Shaheen: 2015 Energy Efficiency Improvement Act "a Good First Step'

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President Obama on Thursday signed into law energy efficiency legislation sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio.

The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, which passed the Senate in March and the House earlier this month, isn't the fullboat Shaheen-Portman Act that the two lawmakers have been working on for three years, but it's a good first step, said Shaheen.

"It has some of the provisions that were in the full bill and does many of the same things," she said, "saving money, reducing pollution and creating jobs."

Shaheen said passage of the law breaks legislative gridlock that has blocked any meaningful energy legislation for years. "It shows there is broad, bipartisan support for energy efficiency in both the Senate and the House," she said.

The bill signed into law by the president has three major components. The first is a program to encourage energy efficiency in apartments, known as Tenant Star.

"It's much like Energy Star, except it provides incentives for landlords and tenants to work together so tenants can be more efficient in their energy use, and get credit for that," Shaheen said.

The second provision modifies regulations on large electric water heaters, while the third requires federal agencies to perform energy-use audits on commercial buildings that they lease.

The bill passed on a voice vote in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate, something rarely seen these days. Shaheen said the stage is now set for passage of the more ambitious Shaheen-Portman legislation, officially titled the Energy Efficiency and Industrial Competitiveness Act.

"That's a much more comprehensive effort to address energy use through efficiency and savings in the construction sector, manufacturing sector and in the federal government," she said. "It has huge benefits for job creation, for savings to the consumer and for protection of the environment."

The broader measure had widespread, nonpartisan support, but died in each of the past two sessions of Congress when Republican lawmakers attached amendments regarding the Keystone XL pipeline, expanded natural gas exports and EPA regulations on future power plants.

In early March, the Senate failed to override President Obama's veto of a measure to approve the Keystone project in 62-37 vote, short of the two-thirds needed.

"The Keystone pipeline has already gone through Congress, so that's not likely to get in the way again," Shaheen said. "And there's a comprehensive energy bill being discussed in the Senate Energy Committee, so there's a place to deal with things like LNG exports and other more controversial issues."

The more comprehensive Shaheen-Portman bill has been reintroduced, now for the third time, with Sen. Shaheen testifying on its behalf on Thursday before the Senate Energy Committee.

"We're excited for the provisions that were signed into law," she said, "and looking forward to getting the full bill passed."

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