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Washington, D.C. - In an effort to conserve our nation's energy
supply and encourage green building construction, Congressman Brian
Baird (WA-03) has been working in Congress to provide tax incentives to
owners who construct energy-efficient buildings. Today, Rep. Baird
praised passage of a five year extension of the commercial buildings
tax deduction that was included in the H.R. 6049, the Renewable Energy
and Job Creation Act, that passed the House today by a vote of 263-160.
"Encouraging
commercial buildings to ‘go green' makes sense. It's an innovative
approach towards reducing our country's dependence on foreign fuels,
lowers pollution levels, and moreover, is good for the environment,"
said Rep. Baird. "Considering our nation's energy crisis, this bill
makes vital steps to extend tax incentives for building owners who
invest in the construction of energy-efficient buildings and do their
part to reduce energy consumption."
In February of this year,
the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation extends the
tax incentives for renewable electricity, energy and fuel, as well as
for plug-in hybrid cars, and energy efficient homes, buildings, and
appliances. Included in the bill is a provision based on H.R. 539,
legislation that Congressman Baird and Congresswoman Allison Schwartz
(PA-13) introduced last year that encourages the construction of
energy-efficient, or "green," commercial buildings through tax
incentives.
In the 109th Congress, Congressman Baird helped
introduce legislation that led to a one-year extension of the
commercial buildings tax deduction. In 2007, Congressman Baird
introduced the Buildings for the 21st Century Act to extend the
deduction through 2013.
Baird has led the effort for targeted
tax incentives to reduce power consumption in newly-constructed
commercial buildings and retro-fitted existing commercial facilities.
Commercial buildings taking advantage of these tax deductions must be
designed or renovated to reduce the total annual energy and power costs
of the interior lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, and hot water
systems by at least 50 percent compared to minimum building energy
requirements. Building owners must demonstrate they have reached this
50 percent savings target by obtaining certification from a qualified
expert, such as an engineer or properly licensed contractor.
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