The House-Senate energy conference report will increase the use of energy efficiency technologies to extend our nation's energy supplies, but the bill falls far short of making energy efficiency a cornerstone of U.S. energy policy.

Washington, D.C., July 27, 2005 - "The House-Senate energy conference report will increase the use of energy efficiency technologies to extend our nation's energy supplies," Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan said today.

"But," she went on, "the bill falls far short of making energy efficiency a cornerstone of U.S. energy policy. Most alarming is the bill's failure to curtail our growing and dangerous oil addiction in the transportation sector, which accounts for two-thirds of total U.S. oil use. It is particularly regrettable that conferees removed the sole oil-saving provisions directing the president to implement policies to save a million barrels of oil a day and making replacement tires and cars and light trucks more efficient," Callahan said.

"This bill presents Congress and the Bush Administration with a crucial 'To-Do List' of energy-efficiency policies," Callahan continued. "We look forward to working toward full funding of those measures which, if fully implemented, would begin bringing energy price relief to consumers, business, and industry."

Among the key energy-efficiency provisions in the conference report are important energy efficiency tax incentives for buildings, equipment, appliances, and vehicles, new efficiency standards for several categories of appliances and equipment and a 10-year extension of Energy Saving Performance Contracts (ESPCs) permitting private financing of energy-efficiency improvements in federal buildings. For detailed analysis on the energy-efficiency provisions in the energy bill conference report, see the Alliance web site: www.ase.org/images/lib/policy/Alliance%20Energy%20Bill%20Analysis.pdf.
####

The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, economy, and national security.