In a time where most of our energy comes from foreign sources, the Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act of 2005 enables Americans to assert our own energy independence in the world marketplace by adding energy efficiency technologies and spurring the economy.

Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.)

"In a time where most of our energy comes from foreign sources, the Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act of 2005 enables Americans to assert our own energy independence in the world marketplace by adding energy efficiency technologies and spurring the economy.

This bill takes critical provisions from the past six years of legislative history and packages them together for a complete, balanced direction to lead our nation's energy policy. As we go into Conference, we should incorporate this bill into the final product for our nation's energy policy to be complete."

Congressman Michael Castle (R-Del.)

CASTLE VOICES STRONG SUPPORT FOR 'ENERGY EFFICIENCYCORNERSTONE ACT', IN CORRELATION WITH SENATE PASSAGE OF 2005 ENERGY BILL

Castle, bipartisan group of House Members Urge Final Energy Bill to include These Efficiency Provisions

Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), a member of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, today announced his support for the 'Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act', as the Senate completed debate on the 2005 Energy Bill. Castle, along with other members of the House, is pushing this legislation to become part any final responsible energy package, which will be crafted by House-Senate conferees. The legislation addresses important efficiency and conservation pieces that were left out of the House-passed energy bill.

"It is critical that any national energy bill balance provisions intended to increase supply with robust energy-efficiency provisions to reduce demand--energy efficiency measures will help the country to extend our current energy supplies quickly, cheaply, and cleanly," said Castle.

Castle, along with Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) join in supporting energy efficiency measures as a critical component to any national energy package. The Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act would bring the House-passed H.R. 6 more closely in line with the Senate's just-passed Energy Policy Act of 2005 (S. 10), which has stronger energy-efficiency provisions, including greater energy-efficiency tax incentives for consumers and industry.

Summary of the Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act:

New energy-efficiency standards for appliances and equipment;

Tax incentives for highly-efficient new homes, efficiency upgrades to existing homes and commercial buildings, heating and cooling equipment, and appliances;
A tax credit for highly-efficient hybrid vehicles and fuel cells;

A requirement that federal agencies ensure that the average fuel economy of new light duty vehicles in their fleets rises by at least 3 mpg;

Permanent extension of Energy Saving Performance Contracts, or ESPCs, which allow private financing of energy-efficiency improvements to federal buildings;

$25 million a year to help states achieve high rates of compliance with the most recent building energy codes;

Revised energy performance standards for new federal buildings, privatized military housing, manufactured housing, and federally subsidized housing;

Funding increases for the Energy Star program and provisions to ensure that Energy Star eligibility requirements are kept up-to-date;

A 10 percent investment tax credit for combined heat and power systems up to 15 megawatts;

Authorization for the secretary of energy and EPA administrator to enter into voluntary agreements with industrial enterprises to reduce overall industrial energy intensity by 2.5 percent or more each year from 2007 to 2016;

Authorization for a study on state and regional policies to promote cost-effective programs to increase end-use energy efficiency, including performance standards, public benefit funds, infrastructure planning, and ensuring appropriate returns for energy efficiency investments;

Authorization of several state pilot programs, funded at $25 million over five years, to develop plans and programs designed to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption or demand by at least 0.75 percent per year; and

Additional funding for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP).

Congressman Tom Allen (D-Maine)

"Energy Conservation Is the Foundation of Energy Independence"

Joins with other members of the House Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Caucus to unveil bipartisan legislation

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Tom Allen today joined Democratic and Republican colleagues at a Capitol Hill press conference to unveil the Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act, legislation to provide incentives for energy conservation through greater efficiency in transportation, buildings, industry and utility generation.

"Energy conservation is the foundation of energy independence," Representative Allen said. "The Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act provides a wide range of meaningful incentives to encourage greater energy efficiency by government, industry and the consuming public. It is a bipartisan proposal to make America more competitive in the global economy, not more dependent on foreign oil. It is a bold initiative to kindle American ingenuity to generate the clean, efficient energy technologies of the future. Our bill aims to restore our nation's leadership in the global campaign to develop clean, sustainable energy policies and practices that will assure a healthy, prosperous future for our children."

The Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act encourages greater efficiency in:

Transportation, through tax incentives for consumers to purchase hybrid autos and setting a three mile per gallon increase in the fuel efficiency of the federal government's fleet of SUVs and small trucks

Commercial and residential buildings, by establishing strong but realistic appliance and equipment energy efficiency standards, revising energy performance standards for new federal buildings, privatized military housing, manufactured housing and federally subsidized housing and authorizing $25 million a year to support states in achieving high rates of compliance with the most recent building energy codes.

Industry, through a 10 percent investment tax credit for combined heat and power systems up to 15 MW and voluntary agreements with industrial enterprises to reduce overall industrial energy intensity by 2.5 percent or more each year from 2007 to 2016.

Electric and natural gas utilities, by encouraging state and regional policies to promote cost-effective, end-use energy efficiency and authorizing $25 million for state pilot programs to develop plans and programs designed to reduce electricity and natural gas consumption or demand by at least 0.75 percent per year

"Last March, former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, former CIA director James Woolsey and a group of retired military and foreign policy leaders called on President Bush and Congress to undertake 'a major new initiative to curtail U.S. consumption through improved efficiency,'" Representative Allen said. "They advocated for petroleum fuel alternatives and the addition of hybrid vehicles into government fleets. Instead, the House passed H.R. 6, energy policy legislation which, according to the Energy Information Administration, will lead Americans to depend on foreign sources for 80 percent of our oil. The Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act does what H.R. 6 failed to do. It recognizes that our national security depends upon energy security."

The Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act is the product of a year-long effort by the bipartisan House Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Caucus. Representative Allen joined Caucus Co-Chairs Zach Wamp (R-TN) and Mark Udall (D-CO) to introduce the bill along with Representatives Ralph Hall (R-TX), Ed Markey (D-MA), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Vito Fosella (R-NY).