[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14531]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING THE ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY ON ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM KINZINGER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2017

  Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
achievements of the Alliance to Save Energy on its 40th Anniversary. 
Founded in 1977 following the oil embargo, the Alliance has been 
dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of the United States. It 
was established by Senators Charles Percy, a Republican from Illinois, 
and Hubert Humphrey, a Democrat from Minnesota, reflecting the 
organization's deep bipartisan roots and commitment to practical 
approaches to policy; a philosophy that guides the Alliance's work 
today.
  The benefits of energy efficiency are broad. Not only does using less 
energy save money for American families and businesses on their utility 
bills, it allows our nation's valuable resources to last longer and 
produce more for our economy. When we can power our nation with 
domestic resources, we don't have to rely on foreign sources and the 
risks that accompany them. For this reason, energy efficiency and 
energy security are just as intricately linked as they were in 1977.
  Improving energy efficiency in federal buildings remains one of my 
top priorities, particularly when it can be done through common-sense, 
public-private partnerships and performance contracts that save 
taxpayer funds. Each and every time the energy efficiency of a federal 
building is improved, the taxpayer wins. When the private sector is 
engaged and deploys its resources to make those improvements, the 
taxpayer wins many times over. For this reason, I am proud of my work 
to support Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility 
Energy Service Contracts (UESCs), including legislation I introduced 
along with my friend Peter Welch of Vermont that would lead to more 
investments, better leverage of public funds, and greater savings. The 
Alliance endorses my bipartisan legislation and I am thankful for their 
support.
  Again, congratulations to the Alliance on reaching its 40th 
Anniversary. It is truly an honor to serve on this organization's 
Honorary Board, along with my colleagues Peter Welch of Vermont, 
Michael Burgess of Texas, David McKinley of West Virginia, Dave 
Reichert of Washington, and Paul Tonko of New York, as well as several 
Senate colleagues. As a group, I believe we truly represent the 
diversity of opinions on energy issues in Congress, but we also 
represent the Alliance's strong commitment to bipartisanship. We've 
come a long way on federal energy efficiency policy, and I look forward 
to what can be accomplished over the next 40 years.

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