Energy-Efficiency Retrofitting

Floor Speech

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, this May at a meeting of the Middle Class Task Force, Vice President Biden asked White House staff to develop a proposal that would grow clean-job opportunities and boost energy savings by retrofitting homes for energy efficiency.

In response, CEQ facilitated a broad interagency process to develop recommendations.

I commend those recently released recommendations and the leadership of our White House on energy policy. Through the Recovery Act's unprecedented investments in energy efficiency, we are making it easier for American families to retrofit their homes, helping them save money.

Existing techniques and technologies in energy-efficiency retrofitting can reduce energy use by up to 40 percent per home and lower total associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually. Retrofitting existing homes also has the potential to cut home energy bills by $21 billion annually.

We must continue to drill and mine energy efficiency as our fuel of choice, like we drill for oil and mine for coal.

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