[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 11 (Monday, January 29, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 196. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
a refundable personal credit for energy conservation expenditures, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Energy 
Conservation Tax Credit Act. As the electricity crisis in California 
continues, the entire nation needs to conserve electricity and improve 
energy efficiency. No solution to the energy problem is complete 
without addressing the need to improve the demand side of the equation.
  The Energy Conservation Tax Credit Act would encourage efforts at 
energy conservation through a refundable tax credit, grants to schools 
to retrofit buildings, and increased information to consumers on their 
use of electricity.
  The legislation would provide individuals with a refundable tax 
credit for the cost of energy conservation measures, such as ceiling 
insulation, weather stripping, water heater insulation blankets, low-
flow showerheads, thermal doors and windows, clock thermostats, and 
external shading devices. The provisions eligible for the tax credit 
are passed on what was included in the California tax code from 1981 to 
1986. The bill also includes a provision allowing this list to be 
expanded for other devices that the Secretary of Energy determines to 
be effective in conserving energy.
  The bill would also provide grants to school districts to retrofit 
public school buildings to increase energy efficiency and conservation. 
Many school buildings are old and do not use energy efficiently. 
According to the California Energy Commission, making energy efficient 
improvements can reduce a school's annual utility bills by 20 percent. 
Unfortunately, particularly in low-income districts, other priorities--
such as textbooks and teachers--often push the need to retrofit down on 
the priority list. My bill establishes a grand program to help local 
schools make these improvements.
  Finally, for consumer information, the bill would require utility 
companies to provide information on electricity bills regarding the 
amount of electricity used during peak and nonpeak hours and how much 
the consumer is paying during each period.
  This is not the complete answer to the energy situation in 
California. But, it is important, and would be helpful in reducing the 
nation's need for electricity.
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