[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 4, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H2115-H2122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2014
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2126) to facilitate better alignment, cooperation, and best
practices between commercial real estate landlords and tenants
regarding energy efficiency in buildings, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2126
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H2116]]
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Efficiency
Improvement Act of 2014''.
TITLE I--BETTER BUILDINGS
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Better Buildings Act of
2014''.
SEC. 102. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN FEDERAL AND OTHER BUILDINGS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of General Services.
(2) Cost-effective energy efficiency measure.--The term
``cost-effective energy efficiency measure'' means any
building product, material, equipment, or service, and the
installing, implementing, or operating thereof, that provides
energy savings in an amount that is not less than the cost of
such installing, implementing, or operating.
(3) Cost-effective water efficiency measure.--The term
``cost-effective water efficiency measure'' means any
building product, material, equipment, or service, and the
installing, implementing, or operating thereof, that provides
water savings in an amount that is not less than the cost of
such installing, implementing, or operating.
(b) Model Provisions, Policies, and Best Practices.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation
with the Secretary of Energy and after providing the public
with an opportunity for notice and comment, shall develop
model commercial leasing provisions and best practices in
accordance with this subsection.
(2) Commercial leasing.--
(A) In general.--The model commercial leasing provisions
developed under this subsection shall, at a minimum, align
the interests of building owners and tenants with regard to
investments in cost-effective energy efficiency measures and
cost-effective water efficiency measures to encourage
building owners and tenants to collaborate to invest in such
measures.
(B) Use of model provisions.--The Administrator may use the
model commercial leasing provisions developed under this
subsection in any standard leasing document that designates a
Federal agency (or other client of the Administrator) as a
landlord or tenant.
(C) Publication.--The Administrator shall periodically
publish the model commercial leasing provisions developed
under this subsection, along with explanatory materials, to
encourage building owners and tenants in the private sector
to use such provisions and materials.
(3) Realty services.--The Administrator shall develop
policies and practices to implement cost-effective energy
efficiency measures and cost-effective water efficiency
measures for the realty services provided by the
Administrator to Federal agencies (or other clients of the
Administrator), including periodic training of appropriate
Federal employees and contractors on how to identify and
evaluate those measures.
(4) State and local assistance.--The Administrator, in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall make
available model commercial leasing provisions and best
practices developed under this subsection to State, county,
and municipal governments for use in managing owned and
leased building space in accordance with the goal of
encouraging investment in all cost-effective energy
efficiency measures and cost-effective water efficiency
measures.
SEC. 103. SEPARATE SPACES WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY MEASURES.
(a) In General.--Subtitle B of title IV of the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17081 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 424. SEPARATE SPACES WITH HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY MEASURES.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) High-performance energy efficiency measure.--The term
`high-performance energy efficiency measure' means a
technology, product, or practice that will result in
substantial operational cost savings by reducing energy
consumption and utility costs.
``(2) Separate spaces.--The term `separate spaces' means
areas within a commercial building that are leased or
otherwise occupied by a tenant or other occupant for a period
of time pursuant to the terms of a written agreement.
``(b) Study.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary, acting through the
Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, shall complete a study on the feasibility of--
``(A) significantly improving energy efficiency in
commercial buildings through the design and construction, by
owners and tenants, of separate spaces with high-performance
energy efficiency measures; and
``(B) encouraging owners and tenants to implement high-
performance energy efficiency measures in separate spaces.
``(2) Scope.--The study shall, at a minimum, include--
``(A) descriptions of--
``(i) high-performance energy efficiency measures that
should be considered as part of the initial design and
construction of separate spaces;
``(ii) processes that owners, tenants, architects, and
engineers may replicate when designing and constructing
separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency
measures;
``(iii) policies and best practices to achieve reductions
in energy intensities for lighting, plug loads, heating,
cooling, cooking, laundry, and other systems to satisfy the
needs of the commercial building tenant;
``(iv) return on investment and payback analyses of the
incremental cost and projected energy savings of the proposed
set of high-performance energy efficiency measures, including
consideration of available incentives;
``(v) models and simulation methods that predict the
quantity of energy used by separate spaces with high-
performance energy efficiency measures and that compare that
predicted quantity to the quantity of energy used by separate
spaces without high-performance energy efficiency measures
but that otherwise comply with applicable building code
requirements;
``(vi) measurement and verification platforms demonstrating
actual energy use of high-performance energy efficiency
measures installed in separate spaces, and whether such
measures generate the savings intended in the initial design
and construction of the separate spaces;
``(vii) best practices that encourage an integrated
approach to designing and constructing separate spaces to
perform at optimum energy efficiency in conjunction with the
central systems of a commercial building; and
``(viii) any impact on employment resulting from the design
and construction of separate spaces with high-performance
energy efficiency measures; and
``(B) case studies reporting economic and energy savings
returns in the design and construction of separate spaces
with high-performance energy efficiency measures.
``(3) Public participation.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary
shall publish a notice in the Federal Register requesting
public comments regarding effective methods, measures, and
practices for the design and construction of separate spaces
with high-performance energy efficiency measures.
``(4) Publication.--The Secretary shall publish the study
on the website of the Department of Energy.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 423
the following new item:
``Sec. 424. Separate spaces with high-performance energy efficiency
measures.''.
SEC. 104. TENANT STAR PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle B of title IV of the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17081 et
seq.) (as amended by section 3) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``SEC. 425. TENANT STAR PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) High-performance energy efficiency measure.--The term
`high-performance energy efficiency measure' has the meaning
given the term in section 424.
``(2) Separate spaces.--The term `separate spaces' has the
meaning given the term in section 424.
``(b) Tenant Star.--The Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of
Energy, shall develop a voluntary program within the Energy
Star program established by section 324A of the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6294a), which may be known as
Tenant Star, to promote energy efficiency in separate spaces
leased by tenants or otherwise occupied within commercial
buildings.
``(c) Expanding Survey Data.--The Secretary of Energy,
acting through the Administrator of the Energy Information
Administration, shall--
``(1) collect, through each Commercial Buildings Energy
Consumption Survey of the Energy Information Administration
that is conducted after the date of enactment of this
section, data on--
``(A) categories of building occupancy that are known to
consume significant quantities of energy, such as occupancy
by data centers, trading floors, and restaurants; and
``(B) other aspects of the property, building operation, or
building occupancy determined by the Administrator of the
Energy Information Administration, in consultation with the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to be
relevant in lowering energy consumption;
``(2) with respect to the first Commercial Buildings Energy
Consumption Survey conducted after the date of enactment of
this section, to the extent full compliance with the
requirements of paragraph (1) is not feasible, conduct
activities to develop the capability to collect such data and
begin to collect such data; and
``(3) make data collected under paragraphs (1) and (2)
available to the public in aggregated form and provide such
data, and any associated results, to the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency for use in accordance with
subsection (d).
``(d) Recognition of Owners and Tenants.--
[[Page H2117]]
``(1) Occupancy-based recognition.--Not later than 1 year
after the date on which sufficient data is received pursuant
to subsection (c), the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency shall, following an opportunity for public
notice and comment--
``(A) in a manner similar to the Energy Star rating system
for commercial buildings, develop policies and procedures to
recognize tenants in commercial buildings that voluntarily
achieve high levels of energy efficiency in separate spaces;
``(B) establish building occupancy categories eligible for
Tenant Star recognition based on the data collected under
subsection (c) and any other appropriate data sources; and
``(C) consider other forms of recognition for commercial
building tenants or other occupants that lower energy
consumption in separate spaces.
``(2) Design- and construction-based recognition.--After
the study required by section 424(b) is completed, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in
consultation with the Secretary and following an opportunity
for public notice and comment, may develop a voluntary
program to recognize commercial building owners and tenants
that use high-performance energy efficiency measures in the
design and construction of separate spaces.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 424
(as added by section 3(b)) the following new item:
``Sec. 425. Tenant Star program.''.
TITLE II--GRID-ENABLED WATER HEATERS
SEC. 201. GRID-ENABLED WATER HEATERS.
Part B of title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation
Act (42 U.S.C. 6291 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 325(e) (42 U.S.C. 6295(e)), by adding at the
end the following:
``(6) Additional standards for grid-enabled water
heaters.--
``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
``(i) Activation lock.--The term `activation lock' means a
control mechanism (either a physical device directly on the
water heater or a control system integrated into the water
heater) that is locked by default and contains a physical,
software, or digital communication that must be activated
with an activation key to enable the product to operate at
its designed specifications and capabilities and without
which activation the product will provide not greater than 50
percent of the rated first hour delivery of hot water
certified by the manufacturer.
``(ii) Grid-enabled water heater.--The term `grid-enabled
water heater' means an electric resistance water heater
that--
``(I) has a rated storage tank volume of more than 75
gallons;
``(II) is manufactured on or after April 16, 2015;
``(III) has--
``(aa) an energy factor of not less than 1.061 minus the
product obtained by multiplying--
``(AA) the rated storage volume of the tank, expressed in
gallons; and
``(BB) 0.00168; or
``(bb) an equivalent alternative standard prescribed by the
Secretary and developed pursuant to paragraph (5)(E);
``(IV) is equipped at the point of manufacture with an
activation lock; and
``(V) bears a permanent label applied by the manufacturer
that--
``(aa) is made of material not adversely affected by water;
``(bb) is attached by means of non-water-soluble adhesive;
and
``(cc) advises purchasers and end-users of the intended and
appropriate use of the product with the following notice
printed in 16.5 point Arial Narrow Bold font:
`` `IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This water heater is intended only
for use as part of an electric thermal storage or demand
response program. It will not provide adequate hot water
unless enrolled in such a program and activated by your
utility company or another program operator. Confirm the
availability of a program in your local area before
purchasing or installing this product.'.
``(B) Requirement.--The manufacturer or private labeler
shall provide the activation key for a grid-enabled water
heater only to a utility or other company that operates an
electric thermal storage or demand response program that uses
such a grid-enabled water heater.
``(C) Reports.--
``(i) Manufacturers.--The Secretary shall require each
manufacturer of grid-enabled water heaters to report to the
Secretary annually the quantity of grid-enabled water heaters
that the manufacturer ships each year.
``(ii) Operators.--The Secretary shall require utilities
and other demand response and thermal storage program
operators to report annually the quantity of grid-enabled
water heaters activated for their programs using forms of the
Energy Information Agency or using such other mechanism that
the Secretary determines appropriate after an opportunity for
notice and comment.
``(iii) Confidentiality requirements.--The Secretary shall
treat shipment data reported by manufacturers as confidential
business information.
``(D) Publication of information.--
``(i) In general.--In 2017 and 2019, the Secretary shall
publish an analysis of the data collected under subparagraph
(C) to assess the extent to which shipped products are put
into use in demand response and thermal storage programs.
``(ii) Prevention of product diversion.--If the Secretary
determines that sales of grid-enabled water heaters exceed by
15 percent or greater the quantity of such products activated
for use in demand response and thermal storage programs
annually, the Secretary shall, after opportunity for notice
and comment, establish procedures to prevent product
diversion for non-program purposes.
``(E) Compliance.--
``(i) In general.--Subparagraphs (A) through (D) shall
remain in effect until the Secretary determines under this
section that--
``(I) grid-enabled water heaters do not require a separate
efficiency requirement; or
``(II) sales of grid-enabled water heaters exceed by 15
percent or greater the quantity of such products activated
for use in demand response and thermal storage programs
annually and procedures to prevent product diversion for non-
program purposes would not be adequate to prevent such
product diversion.
``(ii) Effective date.--If the Secretary exercises the
authority described in clause (i) or amends the efficiency
requirement for grid-enabled water heaters, that action will
take effect on the date described in subsection
(m)(4)(A)(ii).
``(iii) Consideration.--In carrying out this section with
respect to electric water heaters, the Secretary shall
consider the impact on thermal storage and demand response
programs, including any impact on energy savings, electric
bills, peak load reduction, electric reliability, integration
of renewable resources, and the environment.
``(iv) Requirements.--In carrying out this paragraph, the
Secretary shall require that grid-enabled water heaters be
equipped with communication capability to enable the grid-
enabled water heaters to participate in ancillary services
programs if the Secretary determines that the technology is
available, practical, and cost-effective.'';
(2) in section 332(a) (42 U.S.C. 6302(a))--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(B) in the first paragraph (6), by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon;
(C) by redesignating the second paragraph (6) as paragraph
(7);
(D) in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (7) (as so
redesignated), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; or''; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) for any person to--
``(A) activate an activation lock for a grid-enabled water
heater with knowledge that such water heater is not used as
part of an electric thermal storage or demand response
program;
``(B) distribute an activation key for a grid-enabled water
heater with knowledge that such activation key will be used
to activate a grid-enabled water heater that is not used as
part of an electric thermal storage or demand response
program;
``(C) otherwise enable a grid-enabled water heater to
operate at its designed specification and capabilities with
knowledge that such water heater is not used as part of an
electric thermal storage or demand response program; or
``(D) knowingly remove or render illegible the label of a
grid-enabled water heater described in section
325(e)(6)(A)(ii)(V).'';
(3) in section 333(a) (42 U.S.C. 6303(a))--
(A) by striking ``section 332(a)(5)'' and inserting
``paragraph (5), (6), (7), or (8) of section 332(a)''; and
(B) by striking ``paragraph (1), (2), or (5) of section
332(a)'' and inserting ``paragraph (1), (2), (5), (6), (7),
or (8) of section 332(a)''; and
(4) in section 334 (42 U.S.C. 6304)--
(A) by striking ``section 332(a)(5)'' and inserting
``paragraph (5), (6), (7), or (8) of section 332(a)''; and
(B) by striking ``section 332(a)(6)'' and inserting
``section 332(a)(7)''.
TITLE III--ENERGY EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Energy Efficient
Government Technology Act''.
SEC. 302. ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND ENERGY-SAVING INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGIES.
Subtitle C of title V of the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140; 121 Stat. 1661) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 530. ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND ENERGY-SAVING INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGIES.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
``(2) Information technology.--The term `information
technology' has the meaning given that term in section 11101
of title 40, United States Code.
``(b) Development of Implementation Strategy.--Not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, each
Federal agency shall coordinate with the Director, the
Secretary, and the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency to develop an implementation strategy (that
includes best practices and measurement and verification
techniques) for the maintenance, purchase, and use by the
Federal agency of energy-efficient and energy-saving
[[Page H2118]]
information technologies, taking into consideration the
performance goals established under subsection (d).
``(c) Administration.--In developing an implementation
strategy under subsection (b), each Federal agency shall
consider--
``(1) advanced metering infrastructure;
``(2) energy-efficient data center strategies and methods
of increasing asset and infrastructure utilization;
``(3) advanced power management tools;
``(4) building information modeling, including building
energy management;
``(5) secure telework and travel substitution tools; and
``(6) mechanisms to ensure that the agency realizes the
energy cost savings brought about through increased
efficiency and utilization.
``(d) Performance Goals.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this section, the Director, in consultation
with the Secretary, shall establish performance goals for
evaluating the efforts of Federal agencies in improving the
maintenance, purchase, and use of energy-efficient and
energy-saving information technology.
``(2) Best practices.--The Chief Information Officers
Council established under section 3603 of title 44, United
States Code, shall recommend best practices for the
attainment of the performance goals, which shall include
Federal agency consideration of the use of--
``(A) energy savings performance contracting; and
``(B) utility energy services contracting.
``(e) Reports.--
``(1) Agency reports.--Each Federal agency shall include in
the report of the agency under section 527 a description of
the efforts and results of the agency under this section.
``(2) OMB government efficiency reports and scorecards.--
Effective beginning not later than October 1, 2015, the
Director shall include in the annual report and scorecard of
the Director required under section 528 a description of the
efforts and results of Federal agencies under this
section.''.
SEC. 303. ENERGY EFFICIENT DATA CENTERS.
Section 453 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007 (42 U.S.C. 17112) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (b)(3); and
(2) by striking subsections (c) through (g) and inserting
the following:
``(c) Stakeholder Involvement.--The Secretary and the
Administrator shall carry out subsection (b) in collaboration
with information technology industry and other key
stakeholders, with the goal of producing results that
accurately reflect the best knowledge in the most pertinent
domains. In such collaboration, the Secretary and the
Administrator shall pay particular attention to organizations
that--
``(1) have members with expertise in energy efficiency and
in the development, operation, and functionality of data
centers, information technology equipment, and software, such
as representatives of hardware manufacturers, data center
operators, and facility managers;
``(2) obtain and address input from Department of Energy
National Laboratories or any college, university, research
institution, industry association, company, or public
interest group with applicable expertise;
``(3) follow--
``(A) commonly accepted procedures for the development of
specifications; and
``(B) accredited standards development processes; and
``(4) have a mission to promote energy efficiency for data
centers and information technology.
``(d) Measurements and Specifications.--The Secretary and
the Administrator shall consider and assess the adequacy of
the specifications, measurements, and benchmarks described in
subsection (b) for use by the Federal Energy Management
Program, the Energy Star Program, and other efficiency
programs of the Department of Energy or the Environmental
Protection Agency.
``(e) Study.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the
Administrator, shall, not later than 18 months after the date
of enactment of the Energy Efficient Government Technology
Act, make available to the public an update to the Report to
Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency
published on August 2, 2007, under section 1 of Public Law
109-431 (120 Stat. 2920), that provides--
``(1) a comparison and gap analysis of the estimates and
projections contained in the original report with new data
regarding the period from 2007 through 2014;
``(2) an analysis considering the impact of information
technologies, to include virtualization and cloud computing,
in the public and private sectors;
``(3) an evaluation of the impact of the combination of
cloud platforms, mobile devices, social media, and big data
on data center energy usage; and
``(4) updated projections and recommendations for best
practices through fiscal year 2020.
``(f) Data Center Energy Practitioner Program.--The
Secretary, in collaboration with key stakeholders and the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall
maintain a data center energy practitioner program that leads
to the certification of energy practitioners qualified to
evaluate the energy usage and efficiency opportunities in
Federal data centers. Each Federal agency shall consider
having the data centers of the agency evaluated every 4 years
by energy practitioners certified pursuant to such program,
whenever practicable using certified practitioners employed
by the agency.
``(g) Open Data Initiative.--The Secretary, in
collaboration with key stakeholders and the Office of
Management and Budget, shall establish an open data
initiative for Federal data center energy usage data, with
the purpose of making such data available and accessible in a
manner that encourages further data center innovation,
optimization, and consolidation. In establishing the
initiative, the Secretary shall consider the use of the
online Data Center Maturity Model.
``(h) International Specifications and Metrics.--The
Secretary, in collaboration with key stakeholders, shall
actively participate in efforts to harmonize global
specifications and metrics for data center energy efficiency.
``(i) Data Center Utilization Metric.--The Secretary, in
collaboration with key stakeholders, shall facilitate in the
development of an efficiency metric that measures the energy
efficiency of a data center (including equipment and
facilities).
``(j) Protection of Proprietary Information.--The Secretary
and the Administrator shall not disclose any proprietary
information or trade secrets provided by any individual or
company for the purposes of carrying out this section or the
programs and initiatives established under this section.''.
TITLE IV--ENERGY INFORMATION FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
SEC. 401. ENERGY INFORMATION FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
(a) Requirement of Benchmarking and Disclosure for Leasing
Buildings Without Energy Star Labels.--Section 435(b)(2) of
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C.
17091(b)(2)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``paragraph
(1)''; and
(2) by striking ``signing the contract,'' and all that
follows through the period at the end and inserting the
following:
``signing the contract, the following requirements are met:
``(A) The space is renovated for all energy efficiency and
conservation improvements that would be cost effective over
the life of the lease, including improvements in lighting,
windows, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
systems.
``(B)(i) Subject to clause (ii), the space is benchmarked
under a nationally recognized, online, free benchmarking
program, with public disclosure, unless the space is a space
for which owners cannot access whole building utility
consumption data, including spaces--
``(I) that are located in States with privacy laws that
provide that utilities shall not provide such aggregated
information to multitenant building owners; and
``(II) for which tenants do not provide energy consumption
information to the commercial building owner in response to a
request from the building owner.
``(ii) A Federal agency that is a tenant of the space shall
provide to the building owner, or authorize the owner to
obtain from the utility, the energy consumption information
of the space for the benchmarking and disclosure required by
this subparagraph.''.
(b) Study.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, in
collaboration with the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, shall complete a study--
(A) on the impact of--
(i) State and local performance benchmarking and disclosure
policies, and any associated building efficiency policies,
for commercial and multifamily buildings; and
(ii) programs and systems in which utilities provide
aggregated information regarding whole building energy
consumption and usage information to owners of multitenant
commercial, residential, and mixed-use buildings;
(B) that identifies best practice policy approaches studied
under subparagraph (A) that have resulted in the greatest
improvements in building energy efficiency; and
(C) that considers--
(i) compliance rates and the benefits and costs of the
policies and programs on building owners, utilities, tenants,
and other parties;
(ii) utility practices, programs, and systems that provide
aggregated energy consumption information to multitenant
building owners, and the impact of public utility commissions
and State privacy laws on those practices, programs, and
systems;
(iii) exceptions to compliance in existing laws where
building owners are not able to gather or access whole
building energy information from tenants or utilities;
(iv) the treatment of buildings with--
(I) multiple uses;
(II) uses for which baseline information is not available;
and
(III) uses that require high levels of energy intensities,
such as data centers, trading floors, and televisions
studios;
(v) implementation practices, including disclosure methods
and phase-in of compliance;
(vi) the safety and security of benchmarking tools offered
by government agencies, and the resiliency of those tools
against cyber-attacks; and
(vii) international experiences with regard to building
benchmarking and disclosure
[[Page H2119]]
laws and data aggregation for multitenant buildings.
(2) Submission to congress.--At the conclusion of the
study, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the
results of the study.
(c) Creation and Maintenance of Database.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act and following opportunity for public
notice and comment, the Secretary of Energy, in coordination
with other relevant agencies, shall maintain, and if
necessary create, a database for the purpose of storing and
making available public energy-related information on
commercial and multifamily buildings, including--
(A) data provided under Federal, State, local, and other
laws or programs regarding building benchmarking and energy
information disclosure;
(B) information on buildings that have disclosed energy
ratings and certifications; and
(C) energy-related information on buildings provided
voluntarily by the owners of the buildings, only in an
anonymous form unless the owner provides otherwise.
(2) Complementary programs.--The database maintained
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall complement and not duplicate
the functions of the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy
Star Portfolio Manager tool.
(d) Input From Stakeholders.--The Secretary of Energy shall
seek input from stakeholders to maximize the effectiveness of
the actions taken under this section.
(e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the
Secretary of Energy shall submit to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on the
progress made in complying with this section.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
The benefits of energy efficiency are something that both the
Republicans and Democrats agree on as evidenced by the modest but
robust package we are considering today. Reducing waste and consuming
less energy are commonsense strategies to cut costs and address U.S.
energy demand.
I want to thank Mr. Welch and Mr. McKinley for their leadership on
this energy efficiency bill. Both they and their staffs have worked
very hard on this legislation as have the committee staffs, both
Democrat and Republican.
The U.S. has steadily improved its energy productivity as a result of
advances in technology, driven primarily by private sector innovation.
In particular, the industrial and manufacturing sectors have undertaken
significant efforts to improve efficiency and reap the resulting
economic benefits. The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014
supports these ongoing efforts by spurring the use of energy efficiency
technologies and processes in the commercial, industrial, and public
sectors of our economy. The legislation saves consumers money through
lowered energy consumption, helps create jobs, makes our country more
energy independent, and will produce associated environmental benefits.
Critically, this bill will make the country's largest energy user, the
Federal Government, more efficient, thereby saving taxpayer money.
I am delighted that we have this bill on the floor today. I look
forward to working with the Members of the body to make sure that we
pass this legislation, and I would urge their support.
I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, February 26, 2014.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster, Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 2126, the ``Better Buildings Act of 2013.'' As you
noted, there are provisions of H.R. 2126 that fall within the
Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and I appreciate your willingness to forgo
action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to
the House floor for consideration.
I agree that your decision should not alter or diminish the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure with respect to the appointment of conferees
or any future claim over the subject matters contained in the
bill or similar legislation, and I will support the
appointment of Members of the Committee to any conference
committee on such provisions.
I will include a copy of your letter and this response in
the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 2126 on
the House floor.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, February 26, 2014.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 2126, the Better
Buildings Act of 2013, as ordered reported by the Committee
on Energy and Commerce. There are certain provisions in the
legislation that fall within. the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite this legislation for floor
consideration, the Committee will forgo action on this bill.
However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that
forgoing consideration of the bill does not alter or diminish
the jurisdiction of the Committee with respect to the
appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or
similar legislation. I request you urge the Speaker to name
members of the Committee to any conference committee named to
consider such provisions.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the
Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on
the House Floor.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Chairman Upton, Chairman Whitfield, and Ranking Members Waxman and
Rush, I thank all of you for working with us to move this bipartisan
legislation today.
Mr. Whitfield, I want to particularly thank you for your leadership
on the subcommittee.
Thank you as well to my colleague David McKinley for partnering with
me on this issue. Mr. McKinley has an extraordinary background as an
engineer and small business owner. He has real practical knowledge that
has been extremely helpful, and he has brought invaluable expertise to
our committee. I am grateful to him, and this whole body should be
grateful to him for his partnership.
The bill today also includes some very good ideas advanced by other
Members of Congress: Representatives Eshoo, Rogers, Matheson, Latta,
and Castor. I thank all of them for their leadership on this issue.
Lastly, I want to thank House leaders, especially Majority Leader
Cantor. He and his staff--Steve Stombres--have been enormously
cooperative in dealing with some of the thorny problems that arise
whenever there is a complicated piece of legislation to be considered.
So thank you.
Like Mr. Whitfield, I have long believed that energy efficiency is an
area in which we have common ground in what is too often a very divided
Congress.
Mr. Whitfield, I thank you for focusing on that common ground.
Why is it so good?
Because saving energy does three things. It creates jobs. All of the
energy efficiency labor is done by local folks who need work. It
creates manufacturing jobs because 90 percent of the materials used in
energy efficiency are manufactured in this country. It saves money and
it improves the environment.
{time} 1530
So we can, and do, disagree in this Congress on the causes of climate
change and the best fuel mix to meet America's energy demands, but we
can all agree that less is more. Whatever your fuel source, if you use
less, you save money, and that is good for all of us concerned.
We can also agree that creating demand for American-made energy-
efficient products will also create good
[[Page H2120]]
jobs. In energy efficiency, our cheapest fuel requires, as I said,
labor and manufactured goods that are made in America.
We can also all agree that cutting the energy bills of homeowners,
businesses, and the Federal Government--therefore, the taxpayer--is a
very good thing.
Mr. Speaker, Vermont, which I represent, has long been a leader in
energy efficiency. My home State was the first to set up what was
called an energy efficiency utility. That utility, Efficiency Vermont,
has done outstanding work for the past 20 years.
Basically, what it acknowledges and understands is that a kilowatt
saved is a cost avoided. Last year alone, Efficiency Vermont's work
yielded a lifetime customer savings of $206 million for our small State
in Vermont.
The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act is an important first step in
making America more energy efficient. It includes the Better Buildings
Act, also known as Tenant Star, which will drive private sector
innovation in energy efficiency.
By the way, again, Mr. Whitfield, I appreciate this.
This is a public-private partnership. This is not a prescriptive
arrangement. It requires good policy at the Federal level, with
cooperation and opportunity-seizing at the private level.
Homes and buildings consume 40 percent of our energy in the United
States. It is really huge. In commercial buildings, owners report that
tenants consume up to 50 percent or more of the total energy output.
One of the challenges our commercial building owners and developers
face has been the issue of split incentives. Building owners and
renters are not always on the same page when it comes to energy
performance. Part of the problem is that only one party is paying the
energy bill. The other part of the problem is that, while we recognize
energy efficient buildings through the Energy Star program, we have no
similar recognition program for tenant spaces.
Our bill creates a voluntary Tenant Star recognition program for
separate spaces in commercial buildings. When we combine Energy Star
buildings with Tenant Star rentals, we can optimize energy efficiency
in shortened payback periods.
A good example of this synergy can be found in Energy Star-certified
Vermont Innovation Center, located in Burlington, Vermont. The Vermont
Energy Investment Corporation, or VEIC, has its office in that
building. VEIC took aggressive action to optimize the efficiency of its
tenant space within the building. It converted the overhead fluorescent
lighting to highly efficient LEDs and applied 6 inches of spray foam
insulation to the exterior wells.
Making these improvements in an Energy Star building optimized an
already efficient tenant space, but VEIC expects to save nearly $11,000
a year in energy savings. Where I come from, that is real money.
However, there is no recognition program for these improvements, and
we don't know what else VEIC could be doing to increase energy savings.
Under this bill, we will study the best ways to optimize commercial
tenant spaces and then recognize those spaces with a new Tenant Star
label.
By combining energy efficient tenant build-out with Energy Star
buildings, we will double down on a successful program and optimize
energy savings in commercial buildings.
In addition to Tenant Star, this legislation includes three other
important energy provisions. Again, I thank Mr. Whitfield for his
leadership in allowing other good ideas to be part of this legislation.
First, it is going to increase the energy efficiency of Federal
Government data centers. They are huge energy consumers. Data centers
use massive amounts of energy. This legislation will finally begin to
address the enormous Federal energy bill for those facilities.
Second, this bill addresses a serious regulatory problem involving
large-scale water heaters.
Sometimes we have an argument back and forth about regulations. What
I love about this bill, among other things, is we are fixing a problem,
not just fighting about it.
It is going to make needed changes to energy efficiency standards for
large water heaters that are used in demand response programs. These
water heaters act as residential energy storage devices and allow
utilities to curb energy demand during peak hours.
So we are giving some of our rural electric cooperatives tools they
need to keep the cost and energy demand down.
Finally, the bill will disclose the amount of energy consumed in
federally leased buildings and begin benchmarking these buildings.
The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, comprised of these four
components, is an important first step towards energy efficiency, but
more work remains. In the coming weeks, I look forward to working with
my colleagues to pass the McKinley-Welch-Shaheen-Portman legislation,
which will establish national model building codes. We also need to
pass legislation to encourage performance contracting in Federal
buildings and to streamline the Federal green schools project.
Energy efficiency, as Mr. Whitfield said, Mr. Speaker, is a
bipartisan issue. I am extremely encouraged by the steps we are taking
today. I look forward to working with the chairman, ranking member, and
House leaders to bring more bills to the floor in the coming weeks.
I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. I want to thank the gentleman for his remarks. Also, I
certainly want to thank Ms. Eshoo of California for the leadership
she's had on this position, as well as our chairman of the Energy and
Commerce Committee, Mr. Upton.
At this time I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Michigan (Mr. Upton).
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, today, we continue our pursuit of a true all-
of-the-above energy policy as the House considers H.R. 2126, the Energy
Efficiency Improvement Act. I am very pleased that this bill combines
four individual bipartisan proposals developed by members of the Energy
and Commerce Committee.
Energy efficiency measures are some of the simplest and most
affordable methods to address U.S. energy demand and lower costs, but
significant energy efficiency opportunities and challenges certainly
remain. This legislative package helps embrace these opportunities and
meet many challenges to advance U.S. energy goals.
Using a voluntary, market-driven approach, this bipartisan
legislation will help harness new technologies and support private
sector innovation to develop more efficient ways of utilizing energy.
H.R. 2126 also seeks to improve Federal energy efficiency, a critical
initiative, given that the Federal Government is the Nation's largest
user of energy. Utilizing energy savings techniques can significantly
reduce the amount of U.S. taxpayer dollars spent on Federal energy
costs.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to American energy, everything needs to be
on the table: coal, nuclear, natural gas, hydro, wind, solar--you name
it, and yes, improving energy efficiency is an important part of the
all-of-the-above equation.
The passage of this important energy efficiency bill will help us as
we continue to work together on a bipartisan basis in the coming months
and years to tackle the many energy challenges facing the Nation. We
have a lot of work to do.
Basically, what this bill does is takes four individual bills that we
had. One was led by the really good work of Mr. Welch and Mr. McKinley
to establish a Tenant Star program to voluntarily certify within Energy
Star, which would promote energy efficiency.
It takes a Whitfield bill on grid-enabled water heaters. I commend
Ms. Eshoo and Mike Rogers--again, a bipartisan combination--in adding
more energy efficient savings technologies in a major way to help us.
It also takes a Castor bill on energy information for commercial
buildings.
Together, many of us sat down with the then-chairman of the Senate
Energy Committee, Mr. Wyden, about a year ago on things that we could
work on together, and we have proved it with this legislation. These
bills had
[[Page H2121]]
unanimous support within our committee. We worked together. Ultimately,
it is going to help the American consumer and the Federal Government--
again, the largest user of electricity--and shows we can get things
done.
So we have Mr. Welch, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Whitfield, Mike Rogers, Ms.
Castor, and also Mr. Waxman and his staff, too. I know that he wishes
he was on the floor. Together, we really did get this thing worked out
in a way that the American public would be certainly very proud of.
I know that we have lost Mr. Wyden. He has moved to another
committee, but I would hope that a strong vote this afternoon would
send a pretty good message to the Senate that in fact they can embrace
these bills.
A week or two ago, the majority leader said something along the lines
of he wanted to pick a number of issues we can work on together and get
them out of the way and get them to the President's desk. These are
pretty good bills. I would like to think that once we pass these, the
new leadership there in the Senate Energy Committee could simply move
these bills from the desk and get them to the President's desk in an
expeditious way.
So I want to conclude by thanking my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle for developing this legislation that in fact we are supporting. I
would encourage all of my colleagues to stand up for an all-of-the-
above energy policy and support passage of the Energy Efficiency
Improvement Act.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Eshoo).
Ms. ESHOO. I thank my friend and my colleague for yielding. I thank
him for the work that he has done, as well as Mr. Whitfield, Mr.
McKinley, Ms. Castor, and staff on both sides of the aisle. It feels
good to come to the floor to speak on a package of bills that are
bipartisan and that are really going to produce something for our
country and help move us forward.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of the package of
these four bipartisan energy efficiency bills because they are going to
save taxpayer dollars. They are very important.
Title III of this legislation is a bill that I authored with
Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan to make the Federal Government's IT
and data centers more energy efficient. We have been at this for a long
time. By requiring Federal agencies to utilize the best technologies
and energy management strategies, our legislation will reduce the
Federal Government's energy use, save taxpayer dollars, and
importantly, set the standard for the private sector.
While we now routinely hear a lot about data centers, that was not
the case when we started out examining this issue a decade ago. Back
then, I had to explain to colleagues what a data center was. Today,
just about everybody understands that data centers are a critical part
of our national infrastructure and are found in nearly every sector of
our economy.
In 2005, I authored language in the Energy Policy Act that mandated
an EPA study relative to energy use and energy costs of data centers.
The report was transmitted to Congress in 2007 and served as a driver
of both private and public investment in energy efficiency. Based on
widespread agreement across government, industry, and academia, the
bill before us today requires an update to that 2007 report.
Data centers can be extremely energy inefficient. Experts estimate
that most data centers could slash their energy use by 80 to 90
percent. That really takes our collective breath away. There are
enormous opportunities in this by simply implementing existing
technologies and best practices.
So we can do this. We can get this done.
While several companies in my Silicon Valley district have taken the
lead in developing efficient, sustainable data centers, we can do much
better across the private sector and the Federal Government.
{time} 1545
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. WELCH. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.
Ms. ESHOO. I thank the gentleman.
The Federal Government is the Nation's largest landowner, largest
employer, and largest energy user, and so we should lead by example in
improving the energy efficiency of our own data centers within the
Federal Government.
So the bill that Mr. Rogers and I have embedded in this package
requires Federal agencies to do some really rather simple things that
are going to lead to terrific outcomes. They need to develop plans to
use more energy-efficient technologies and best practices, and require
periodic evaluation of Federal data centers for energy efficiency.
I want to thank Chairman Upton, Ranking Member Waxman, the staffs
from both sides of the aisle, the Members that are part of the
legislation that is part of this bipartisan package.
And I also want to salute Paul Beck, who serves on my staff in my
office, who has really been the wind beneath the sails of this bill. He
has lived and breathed efficiency in data centers day in and day out.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), who is the author of title I of this
legislation.
Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2126.
While there are many differing views in Congress, there is one common
ground, and that is energy efficiency. Finding ways to use energy more
efficiently is simply common sense.
This legislation will provide this country with a market-driven,
voluntary, best practice approach to reduce energy consumption. It is
an area where Republicans and Democrats can work together efficiently.
That is why Peter Welch and I have developed a wonderful working
relationship and developed an issue on energy that crosses this and
other pieces of legislation.
As one of just two engineers in Congress, and having spent nearly 50
years in the construction industry, I understand what steps we need to
take to make our buildings more efficient. That is why we brought
together a broad coalition of support for this legislation, supported
by everyone from manufacturers, restaurants, contractors, labor,
environmental groups. Even the gaming industry is supporting this
legislation. It is estimated to lower energy costs by over $2 billion
and result in reduced carbon emissions by nearly 12 million tons. It
helps move our Nation closer to energy independence.
I would like to thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman for
allowing this bipartisan bill to come to the floor, and Congressman
Whitfield for helping out on all the legislation, as well as Mr. Welch.
Engineers know how to make buildings operate more efficiently. Maybe
our next step would be to make Congress run more efficiently.
I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is going to take a lot more engineers to get this
place operating a lot better, but this was a step.
Mr. Whitfield wasn't here when I was bragging on him, Mr. Speaker.
You have got that practical knowledge from his year of experience in
construction and that engineering background.
But here is the other thing. There is a big debate about carbon
emissions. I happen to be someone who thinks it is a very, very serious
problem. But if we--even under the Waxman-Markey bill, which passed the
House and then did not pass the Senate, with a goal of reduction of 80
percent of carbon emissions by 2050, 40 percent were going to be
achieved through energy efficiency. So this is a really big deal.
There are questions about a lot of things on energy policy, but where
we do have this common ground with significant leadership on both sides
of the aisle, that energy efficiency is an approach that really makes
sense, then we can and should do it. So I am very grateful to all
concerned in pulling together to take the first really solid step
towards embracing an energy efficiency agenda as part of an all-of-the-
above strategy on energy.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr.
Himes).
Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise briefly just to salute the leadership
of Representative McKinley and my good friend from Vermont, Peter
Welch, for a bill which does some spectacular
[[Page H2122]]
things. Specifically, it really enshrines the idea that the cheapest
and cleanest energy that we have is that energy which we conserve and
don't use, that we make available for the future.
This--and I draw on my history now of building affordable housing in
a green fashion--is a real win-win. It means that people are paying
lower utility bills if they employ the methods that will be encouraged
by this bill. It means that we are putting less carbon in the
atmosphere, and this coming from somebody recently down from
Connecticut where we have experienced, in the last several years,
climate problems unlike any that we have ever seen. And of course, we
are doing the right thing by the future.
This is also, in a challenging time for this Chamber, a remarkable
example of Democrats and Republicans working together to achieve
something that will benefit not just the people in this Chamber, but
will benefit the country and future generations. This is something we
should build on. There is so much more we can do with respect to
reconfiguring our economy and our industry and our residences so that
they are clean and driven by cheap, sustainable, American energy.
So, Mr. Speaker, I close now just as I opened, by thanking
Representative McKinley and Representative Welch for their tremendous
leadership and say that I very much look forward to supporting this
bill later on today.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, we do not have any more speakers, so I
would reserve the balance of my time if the gentleman wants to proceed.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Vermont has 4\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. WELCH. Well, I will just close briefly. I don't believe we have
any other speakers.
Again, there are several things here:
One is the wisdom of an energy efficiency policy, less is more; and
whether you are consuming oil or solar, if you use less, you are going
to save money. It is good for the bottom line;
Second, any energy efficiency means that we are going to keep in the
ground for future use any other fuels that we may need down the road;
Third, any energy efficiency requires implementation of energy
efficiency retrofits. That is local labor, good jobs, and the use of
locally manufactured products;
Fourth, energy efficiency means that we do not have to build more
generating capacity in order to generate. That saves money;
Fifth, what it does is it cuts down on carbon emissions. It is all a
really good thing.
Then finally, several speakers have referred to Congress, and we all
know we have had our challenges here, and it is a function, to some
extent, of real debates among the American people that we reflect to
some extent. We can't get out of our own way sometimes with some of our
rules. But what we know is that, at the end the day, this institution
has to be a problem-solving institution that works for the American
people. And what we have done here, with Mr. Upton and Mr. Whitfield
being the leaders with the responsible positions, is focused on areas
where we agree. And they are meaningful areas. It is not a split-the-
difference type of deal where we have just shaved so much off that it
really is not significant. What we have done is put aside areas where
we have real disagreement and haven't reached consensus and then
doubled down on that area of efficiency where there is common ground.
We have taken good ideas, whether they have been offered by a
Republican or a Democrat, and we have kept disciplined to have this
legislation be about efficiency and a policy that is going to work for
the American people, and we haven't turned it, either side, into a
political Christmas tree that allows us to make some extraneous points.
In my view, I think we need to do more of that.
I was very heartened in Congress when we had a budget agreement that
was reached with the leadership of Paul Ryan in the House and Senator
Murray in the Senate. I was happy we had an appropriations bill that
did reflect a lot of give-and-take on both sides, and I was very
pleased we had a farm bill. Again, lots of things to debate in that
farm bill, but we need a 5-year farm bill for the people.
And now, on energy, we finally pass something that both sides can
legitimately be proud of because it is real policy. It is important
policy that is going to be beneficial to the bottom line to the
American people.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add on the words of the
gentleman from Vermont, first of all, once again, just to say how much
we enjoyed working with him and the others on this important
legislation.
We do firmly believe that the American people will benefit from this.
We all recognize that energy is one of the components that goes a long
way in determining how competitive America can be in the global
marketplace, and any time you can improve efficiency, you improve that
competitiveness. So I would urge all of our Members to support H.R.
2126, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today, I urge the House of
Representatives to pass this bipartisan energy efficiency legislation,
the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014, that would take a best
practices approach to achieving optimal performance levels in
commercial buildings and identify energy efficiency improvements in
federal government data centers and leased buildings. This piece of
legislation will save energy, save taxpayer dollars, lower consumers'
energy bills and reduce harmful pollution.
I want to thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman of the
Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Whitfield and Ranking Member
Rush of the Energy and Power Subcommittee for including my bill, H.R.
3820, a bill to encourage benchmarking and disclosure of energy
information in commercial buildings, as Title IV of the Energy
Efficiency Improvement Act.
Existing federal law requires benchmarking of federally owned
buildings. Benchmarking is a practice that allows building owners to
assess the energy use of their buildings and compare their performance
to similar buildings. My bill builds on existing law by requiring
federally leased buildings to benchmark and disclose their energy usage
data, where practical.
Benchmarking helps owners identify buildings that can most benefit
from energy upgrades. The federal Energy Star Buildings program has
encouraged benchmarking for many years and the Environmental Protection
Agency estimates that this program has benchmarked more than 185
million square feet of U.S. commercial floor space, resulting in
average energy savings of about 5 percent in these buildings.
My bill requires a benchmarking study for commercial and multi-family
buildings. A number of U.S. cities encourage or require benchmarking
for large commercial or multi-family buildings. This information helps
building owners, purchasers and renters make more informed decisions.
This piece of legislation requires the Department of Energy, in
collaboration with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency, to conduct a study on benchmarking methodologies so that cities
and states can avoid pitfalls and implement best practices.
I hope that passage of the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act marks a
period of bipartisan cooperation. I look forward to working with my
colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee on solving the nation's
energy issues and other pressing matters.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2126, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________