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House Subcommittee on Energy and Power to hold hearing on Bass' bipartisan bill next week
July 5, 2012
WASHINGTON – Congressman Charles F. Bass (NH-02) announced today that the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a hearing next Thursday, July 12, on his Smart Energy Act , bipartisan legislation to get the federal government and many businesses on a path to greater energy efficiency and cost savings. Bass, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is expected to participate in the hearing, which will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building (Room #2123) at 9:15 a.m.
Bass said:
"During the debate on our nation's energy policy, we should focus not only on the supply side, but on demand as well, and improving our nation's energy efficiency is a clean, cheap, and easy way to reduce overall energy costs. This isn't and shouldn't be a partisan issue, and that's why I joined with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to introduce the Smart Energy Act, which will help businesses develop new energy efficiency technologies and generate advancements in this growing field, particularly during our economic recovery.
"I am very pleased that the Subcommittee on Energy and Power will be talking about this issue next week and I look forward to working with them on developing solutions that will help to meet our nation's energy needs and create jobs at the same time."
Specifically, Bass' legislation will:
• Optimize the use of energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) to create jobs and improve performance of federal buildings by leveraging private sector investment in public building projects.
• Establish a strategic plan to double the production of electricity through the use of combined heat and power (CHP) and waste heat recovery by 2020. Maximizing energy already created for both its thermal and electric generation capabilities is a core definition of efficiency.
• Direct federal agencies to take common-sense first steps—such as data center consolidation, personal computer power savings techniques, and participation in utility demand-response programs—to better manage energy consumption.
Bass has toured several companies in New Hampshire earlier this year to see firsthand how they are utilizing new energy efficiency technologies to reduce energy costs and power their facilities, including Velcro USA in Manchester, Concord Steam, and the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in Greenfield.
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