Energy Saving News
Proposed Energy Efficiency Addition to Renewable Energy Standard
ENERGY efficiency is to be integrated into the proposed U.S. bill to introduce a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES).
The bipartisan bill is being proposed by head of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Democrat Jeff Bingaman and Republican Sam Brownback.
Under the proposed RES, which is similar to last year’s American Clean Energy Leadership Act, electricity supply companies would have to produce a proportion of their power from wind, solar, biomass, other renewable energy sources and now also via energy efficiencies.
The bill will allow up to 25% of the RES to come from energy efficiency measures. Meaning in practice that at least 11% of a utility’s power would need to come from renewable resources with the remaining 4% from energy efficiency improvements.
Bingham said:
“I believe there is strong support for this bipartisan bill and I hope we can pass it through Congress in the coming weeks.”
Democrat co-sponsor Mark Udall added:
“A national RES has been a top priority for me going back to my time as a member of the House of Representatives. I believe this bill represents our best chance to get America running on homegrown energy in 2010.”
The Alliance to Save Energy welcome the proposal, which would come into effect in 2012.
Alliance president Kateri Callahan commented:
“Today’s legislation is a major step forward in reducing consumers’ energy bills, and we are hopeful that the bipartisan support assembled by Bingaman will make it possible for the bill to be passed by the full Senate this year.”
Thursday 23rd September 2010
