[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 132 (Thursday, September 8, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REDUCING ENERGY COSTS AND SUPPORTING JOB CREATION WITH MECHANICAL 
                               INSULATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2011

  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today, with my 
good friend and Co-Chair of the House Manufacturing Caucus, Tim Ryan of 
Ohio, the Mechanical Insulation Incentive Act of 2011, MIA 2011. 
Mechanical insulation is the insulation placed around mechanical 
equipment, such as large boilers, heating and air conditioning units, 
duct work, and hot and cold water piping, to prevent energy loss, 
control condensation, regulate temperature, help reduce pollutants, and 
protect employees from hot or cold surfaces. Commercial buildings and 
industrial facilities consume 2.5 times more energy than homes, 
according to the Energy Information Administration. Energy efficiency 
in mechanical insulation is critical in reducing energy cost and 
consumption, and it is an essential industry for job creation.
  MIA 2011 will help the commercial and industrial sectors invest in 
mechanical insulation and create much-needed jobs in one of the 
hardest-hit industries. The National Insulation Association, NIA, 
estimates that this bill alone could create or sustain more than 89,000 
jobs annually. Specifically, this legislation would create up to a 30 
percent tax deduction to encourage commercial and industrial entities, 
such as manufacturing facilities, office buildings, schools, hospitals, 
power plants, hotels, and universities, to go beyond minimum mechanical 
insulation requirements in new construction and retrofit projects and 
increase their maintenance activities. The NIA also estimates this bill 
could save up to $35 billion in energy costs and reduce as much as 170 
million metric tons of carbon emissions over the next five years.
  Mechanical insulation systems are a vital component in creating and 
maintaining high-performance, energy-efficient buildings and increasing 
manufacturing efficiency. MIA 2011 cuts energy costs, reduces carbon 
emissions, and puts Americans back to work through a tax incentive 
encouraging the use of mechanical insulation.

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