[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7822]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             ENERGY SAVINGS

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Energy Savings 
and Industrial Competitiveness Act, S. 2262. I am pleased to be a 
cosponsor of this legislation, which would build on previous energy 
efficiency legislation and proposes cost-effective mechanisms to 
support the adoption of off-the-shelf efficiency technologies for 
buildings, manufacturers, and the Federal Government.
  As honorary vice-chair of the Alliance to Save Energy, I have been a 
long-time proponent of efforts to improve energy efficiency. 
Encouraging the adoption of energy efficiency measures is one of the 
easiest yet most effective mechanisms for reducing energy consumption, 
lessening pollution, and ultimately saving families, businesses, and 
the Federal Government money.
  Legislation to improve the Nation's energy policy is long overdue. I 
would like to congratulate the bill sponsors, Senators Shaheen and 
Portman, for crafting this bipartisan, commonsense bill and for their 
tireless efforts in working with the leadership of the Senate Energy 
and Natural Resources Committee to bring this bill to the Senate floor 
once again. This has not been an easy feat. After an earlier version of 
the bill was left unfinished last year, the bill sponsors did not give 
up and have continued to work diligently to build additional support by 
incorporating several previously filed amendments. While I share the 
general frustration expressed by some that Congress should be 
considering a more comprehensive energy policy, we must not use this as 
a reason to impede passage of this energy efficiency bill.
  The provisions in S. 2262 will kick-start the use of energy 
efficiency technologies that are commercially available now and can be 
deployed by residential, commercial, and industrial energy users. The 
bill will also improve the energy efficiency of the Federal Government, 
which is the largest energy consumer in the country. Given today's 
challenging fiscal environment, it is notable that all authorizations 
included in S. 2262 are fully offset.
  I am pleased to have co-authored two provisions that are incorporated 
into the base bill. First, I joined my colleague, the Senator from 
Colorado, Mr. Udall, in authoring a provision that would provide a 
streamlined, coordinating structure for schools to help them better 
navigate existing Federal energy efficiency programs and financing 
options. This would be particularly helpful for rural schools in States 
such as Maine and would help these institutions save money in the face 
of rising energy costs. Decisions about how best to meet the energy 
needs of their schools, however, would still appropriately be made by 
the States, school boards, and local officials.
  The second provision that I am pleased to have authored with my 
colleague from Rhode Island, Senator Whitehouse, would authorize a pay-
for-success pilot program allowing the U.S. Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, HUD, to enter into agreements with private investors 
for energy and water efficiency improvements to project-based rental 
assistance and housing for the elderly and disabled. This budget-
neutral approach would leverage private investment to finance energy 
efficiency retrofits for certain HUD-assisted properties and help cut 
utility costs for the Federal Government.
  I would have liked an open amendment process. One amendment I am 
pleased to have worked on with my colleagues from Delaware, Senator 
Coons, and Rhode Island, Senator Reed, would reauthorize and extend the 
core Weatherization Assistance Program and State Energy Program 
activities at the Department of Energy through 2018, develop a 
competitive grant program for non-profits to carry out weatherization 
projects, and require minimum professional standards for weatherization 
contractors and workers. I am a long-time supporter of weatherization, 
which plays an important role in permanently reducing home energy costs 
for low-income families and seniors in all States, lessening our 
dependence on foreign oil, and training a skilled workforce. 
Weatherizing homes and reducing energy costs are particularly important 
for a State like Maine, which has the oldest housing stock in the 
Nation and a high dependence on home heating oil. Our amendment, had we 
been allowed to offer it, would have further increased the energy 
savings from this bill.
  Nevertheless, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 
has released new analysis demonstrating that S. 2262 would save 
consumers and businesses and the government with a cumulative net 
savings of nearly $100 billion by 2030, support thousands of new jobs 
by cutting government and industrial energy waste and assisting 
homeowners in financing energy efficiency improvements, and reduce 
emissions significantly.
  S. 2262 has the support of a broad coalition of stakeholders, 
including energy efficiency, business, and environmental organizations, 
small and large businesses, utilities, and public interest groups. I am 
pleased to be a cosponsor of S. 2262 and urge its swift passage.

                          ____________________