[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 91 (Thursday, June 7, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S7337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BIDEN:
  S. 1562. A bill to direct the Secretary of Energy to provide grants 
to States for the distribution of compact fluorescent lights; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Fluorescent 
Light Implementation Program to Save Americans Value and Energy, or 
FLIP-to-SAVE. This bill does something very simple to save Americans 
money and make us more energy efficient. It distributes compact 
fluorescent light-bulbs. We can save green two ways by changing our 
light-bulbs.
  Compact fluorescent light-bulbs, or CFLs, are highly efficient light-
bulbs that use less than a quarter of the energy of traditional 
incandescent bulbs. The FLIP-to-SAVE program will spend $50 million to 
increase public awareness of how CFLs save money and the environment 
and to distribute them to households across the Nation. It is modeled 
after a successful program in my home State of Delaware, which 
distributed 140,000 CFLs through public libraries. The FLIP-to-SAVE 
program will give States grants, to allow each State to develop a 
program that suits it best, though I expect many will be modeled after 
Delaware's system.
  Through this program, we can expect to replace 16 million inefficient 
incandescent bulbs with CFLs, reducing total residential energy bills 
by over $60 million each year. That means the program ought to pay for 
itself in terms of savings to families in just one year. And that's 
without considering the environmental benefits.
  By reducing our energy consumption in the equivalent of 127,000 
homes, about the size of Buffalo, NY, we can help alleviate our energy 
dependence and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, one 
equivalent CFL replacing a 60 watt incandescent will prevent 1000 
pounds of carbon dioxide through reductions in coal-powered 
electricity. That is 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.
  Energy efficiency is a key to our efforts to address climate change. 
There are many simple steps we can take to use less energy, and this is 
one. The FLIP-to-SAVE program will not just reduce carbon emissions, 
but also reduce electric bills for American families by more than its 
price tag. I ask that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1562

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fluorescent Lightbulb 
     Implementation Program to Save Americans Value and Energy''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Low-income household.--The term ``low-income 
     household'' means a household with a total annual household 
     income that does not exceed the greater of--
       (A) an amount equal to 150 percent of the poverty level of 
     a State; or
       (B) an amount equal to 60 percent of the State median 
     income.
       (2) Medium base compact fluorescent lamp.--The term 
     ``medium base compact fluorescent lamp'' has the meaning 
     given the term in section 321(30)(S) of the Energy Policy and 
     Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6291(30)(S)).
       (3) Poverty level.--The term ``poverty level'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 2603 of the Low-Income Home 
     Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8622).
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Energy.
       (5) State.--The term ``State'' means--
       (A) a State; and
       (B) the District of Columbia.
       (6) State median income.--The term ``State median income'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 2603 of the Low-
     Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8622).

     SEC. 3. COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHTING GRANT PROGRAM.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish and carry 
     out a program under which the Secretary shall provide grants 
     to States for the distribution of medium base compact 
     fluorescent lamps to households in the State.
       (b) Application Requirements.--To be eligible to receive a 
     grant under this section a State shall--
       (1) submit to the Secretary an application, in such form 
     and by such date as the Secretary may specify, that 
     contains--
       (A) a plan describing the means by which the State will use 
     the grant funds; and
       (B) such other information as the Secretary may require; 
     and
       (2) agree--
       (A) to conduct public education activities to provide 
     information on--
       (i) the efficiency of using medium base compact fluorescent 
     lamps; and
       (ii) the cost savings associated with using medium base 
     compact fluorescent lamps;
       (B) to conduct outreach activities to ensure, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, that households in the State are 
     informed of the distribution of the medium base compact 
     fluorescent lamps in the State;
       (C) to coordinate activities under this section with 
     similar and related Federal and State programs; and
       (D) to comply with such other requirements as the Secretary 
     may establish.
       (c) Priority.--A State that receives a grant under this 
     section shall give priority to distributing medium base 
     compact fluorescent lamps to low-income households in the 
     State.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     $50,000,000 to carry out this Act.
       (b) Congressional Intent.--It is the intent of Congress 
     that the amounts made available under this section shall 
     supplement, not supplant, amounts provided under sections 361 
     through 364 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 
     U.S.C. 6321 through 6324).
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