[House Report 113-489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     113-489

======================================================================



 
                     THERMAL INSULATION EFFICIENCY

                                _______
                                

 June 23, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Upton, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4801]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4801) to require the Secretary of Energy to 
prepare a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both 
energy and water use for potable hot water, having considered 
the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and 
recommend that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     1
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     2
Committee Consideration..........................................     2
Committee Votes..................................................     2
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     2
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............     2
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures     2
Earmark, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits.......     3
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     3
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................     3
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     4
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     4
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings..............................     4
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     4
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     4
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     4

                          PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    H.R. 4801, the ``Thermal Insulation Efficiency Improvement 
Act,'' was introduced by Rep. Kinzinger (R-IL) and Rep. 
McNerney (D-CA) on June 5, 2014. The legislation requires the 
Department of Energy (DOE), in consultation with other Federal 
agencies and relevant stakeholders, to submit a report to 
Congress on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and 
water use systems for potable hot and chilled water in Federal 
buildings, and the return on investment of installing such 
insulation.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Large amounts of energy and water are wasted due to heating 
and cooling losses that could be prevented through greater 
utilization of thermal insulation. With the Federal government 
being the single largest consumer of energy in the country,\1\ 
the potential savings from the increased use of thermal 
insulation in Federal buildings are significant. Estimates show 
that over its lifetime, thermal insulation saves up to 500 
times the energy required for its production,\2\ but to date, 
there has not been a study to identify the potential benefits 
and energy savings available from the greater use of thermal 
insulation for both energy and water use systems for potable 
hot and chilled water in Federal buildings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Dr. Timothy Unruh, Program Director, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Federal Energy Management Program, (Oct. 30, 2013).
    \2\National Insulation Association, Mechanical Insulation Life 
Cycle Assessment, (Dec. 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                HEARINGS

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce has not held hearings 
on the legislation.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    On June 9 and 10, 2014, the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce met in open markup session. The Committee ordered H.R. 
4801 favorably reported to the House of Representatives, 
without amendment, by a voice vote.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. 
There were no record votes taken in connection with ordering 
H.R. 4801 reported. A motion by Mr. Upton to order H.R. 4801 
reported to the House, without amendment, was agreed to by a 
voice vote.

                      COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee made findings that are 
reflected in this report.

         STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    H.R. 4801 requires the Secretary of Energy to report to 
Congress on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and 
water use systems for potable hot and chilled water in Federal 
buildings, and the return on investment of installing such 
insulation.

   NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 
4801 would result in no new or increased budget authority, 
entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues.

       EARMARK, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF BENEFITS

    In compliance with clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI 
of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee 
finds that H.R. 4801 contains no earmarks, limited tax 
benefits, or limited tariff benefits.

                        COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

    The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared 
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:
                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, June 20, 2014.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4801, a bill to 
require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the 
impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use for 
potable hot water.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan 
Carroll.
            Sincerely,
                                              Douglas W. Elmendorf.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 4801--A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a 
        report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and 
        water use for potable hot water

    H.R. 4801 would require the Secretary of Energy to prepare 
a report, within one year of enactment, on the effects that 
thermal insulation has on both energy consumption and systems 
for providing potable water in federal buildings. Based on 
information from the Department of Energy about the cost of 
similar analyses, CBO estimates that completing the required 
report would cost less than $500,000; those costs would be 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 4801 
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 4801 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. 
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

                    DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    No provision of H.R. 4801 establishes or reauthorizes a 
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of 
another Federal program, a program that was included in any 
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program 
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance.

                  DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS

    The Committee estimates that enacting H.R. 4801 
specifically directs no rule makings within the meaning of 5 
U.S.C. 551 to be completed.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

             SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Report on energy and water savings potential from thermal 
        insulation

    Section 1(a) requires the Department of Energy, in 
consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and relevant 
stakeholders, to submit a report to Congress on the impact of 
thermal insulation on both energy and water use systems for 
potable hot and chilled water in Federal buildings, and the 
return on investment of installing such insulation.
    Section 1(b) provides that the report shall include (1) an 
analysis based on the cost of municipal or regional water for 
delivered water and the avoided cost of new water; and (2) a 
summary of energy and water savings, including short term and 
long term (20 years) projections of such savings.

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    This legislation does not amend any existing Federal 
statute.

                                  
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