New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 7 offered by Mr. Van Hollen:

In section 9117(a), in the amendment adding paragraph (18) to section 111(d) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, in paragraph (18)(B), strike ``and'' in clause (iv), strike the period at the end of clause (v) and insert ``; and'' and after clause (v) insert:

``(vi) offering home energy audits, publicizing the financial and environmental benefits associated with making home energy efficiency improvements, and educating homeowners about all existing Federal and State incentives, including the availability of low-cost loans, that make home energy efficiency improvements more affordable.''.

The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to House Resolution 615, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.

The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, this bill before us establishes many important incentives for consumers to make savings through the use of improvements in energy efficiency. However, I think we all understand that those incentives only work if consumers know about them and they are easily accessible, and that is what this noncontroversial amendment aims to do.

It simply adds a sixth policy option for States to consider in title IX of the underlying bill. It asks States and asks utilities to partner with us to promote the use of home energy audits, to educate homeowners about the financial and environmental benefits associated with residential energy efficiency improvements, and to publicize the availability of Federal and State incentives to make residential energy efficiency improvements more affordable. In short, this amendment represents a voluntary, commonsense way to drive consumers towards the very incentives we encourage them to use in this bill.

Mr. Chairman, this comprehensive energy package represents a long-overdue course correction and a new vision for energy policy in the United States. Today, we are beginning to make good on our commitment to redirect many of the wasteful subsidies away from already highly profitable oil and gas companies towards the renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies of the future.

These investments will reduce our dependence on foreign oil. They will help combat the growing problem of climate change by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions by 10.4 billion tons through the year 2030, more than the total of all tailpipe emissions from all of the cars on the road today.

As we generate cleaner power, we will also generate an estimated 3 million good-paying jobs over the next 10 years while investing in small business, economic development and high-payoff research at the Department of Energy.

And its energy efficiency provisions that we hope this amendment will encourage more consumers to go toward will save consumers if they take advantage of them, a staggering $300 billion through the year 2030, demonstrating once again that the cheapest kind of energy is the kind we never have to use.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is designed to ensure that American consumers know of the new possibilities before them. Many who oppose this bill focus on what they claim America cannot do. Those of us who support this bill have great faith in the creative energy and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people and our capacity to find innovative solutions to the challenges we face.

I encourage my colleagues to adopt this amendment which is in the spirit of the overall bill.

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Mr. Chairman, this bill establishes many important incentives for consumers to make savings through the use of improvements in energy efficiency. However, those incentives only work if consumers know about them and they are easily accessible. That is what this non-controversial amendment aims to do. It simply adds a sixth policy option for states to consider in Title IX of the underlying bill. It asks states and utilities to partner with us to promote the use of home energy audits; to educate homeowners about the financial and environmental benefits associated with residential energy efficiency improvements and to publicize the availability of Federal and State incentives to make residential energy efficiency improvements more affordable. In short, this amendment represents a voluntary, common-sense way to drive consumers toward the incentives we encourage them to use.

Mr. Chairman, this comprehensive energy package represents a long overdue course correction and a new vision for energy policy in the United States. Today, we are making good on our commitment to redirect huge wasteful subsidies away from our already highly profitable oil and gas companies toward the renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies of the future.

These new investments will reduce our dependability on foreign oil. They will significantly enhance our ability to combat global climate change--by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions by 10.4 billion tons through 2030, more than the total tailpipe emissions from all the cars on the road today.

And while these investments generate more clean energy they will also generate an estimated 3 million good-paying jobs over the next 10 years while investing in small business economic development and high-payoff research at the Department of Energy.

And its energy efficiency provisions will save consumers and businesses a staggering $300 billion through 2030--demonstrating once again that the cheapest kind of energy is the kind you never have to use.

This amendment is designed to ensure that American consumers know of the new possibilities before them. Many who oppose this bill focus on what they claim America cannot do. Those of us who support this bill have great faith in the creative energy and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people and our capacity to find innovative solutions to the challenges we face.

I encourage my colleagues' support.

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Virginia, and I reserve the balance of my time.

The Acting CHAIRMAN. Does anyone rise in opposition?

Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I can't say we really support it, but we don't oppose it. So we don't seek any time on it.

I yield back my time.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chairman, in that case, I urge adoption of the amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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