Welch Hails Passage of Energy Efficiency Package that Includes Seven Welch-Authored Bills

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the House passed energy efficiency legislation that included seven key priorities of Rep. Welch to transition to a clean, reduced carbon economy. This legislation is a bipartisan attempt to lower carbon emissions and build a clean, sustainable green economy.

“Our climate emergency calls for an all hands on deck response to prevent further destruction of communities and ecosystems across America,” said Welch. “This energy efficiency package is not a panacea for the climate crisis we are in, but it is an important part of creating a green economy with millions of green jobs that will help us achieve sustainable emissions reductions. We have no more time to waste.”

The Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act (H.R. 4447), includes seven Welch bills:

• The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (H.R. 3962): A bipartisan bill to create model energy efficient building codes, train the next generation of energy efficiency workers, and reduce federal energy usage. 
• The HOPE for HOMES Act (H.R. 7325): A bipartisan bill to pair the HOMES Act energy efficiency rebate program with a grant program for online workforce training designed to prepare workers to conduct comprehensive home energy efficiency retrofits eligible for tax rebates.
• The Smart Buildings Acceleration Act (H.R. 2044): A bipartisan bill to facilitate the transition to energy-saving smart buildings by supporting research and documenting the costs and benefits of emerging technologies in private and federal government buildings.
• The Energy Savings Through Public Private Partnerships Act (H.R. 3079): A bipartisan bill to require federal agencies to implement energy savings projects identified by mandatory energy audits to improve efficiency and save tax dollars. These projects could be paid for by Energy Savings Performance Contracts or Utility Energy Savings Contracts.
• The Federal Energy and Water Management Performance Act (H.R. 5650): A bipartisan bill to formally reauthorize the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and establish energy and water usage reduction goals for federal buildings.
• The Combined Heat and Power Support Act (H.R. 1480): Authorizes the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical Assistance Partnerships (TAPs) at the U.S. Department of Energy. The CHP TAPs encourage the use of technologies that reduce energy use, save consumers money, increase economic competitiveness, and reduce emissions.
• The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Act (H.R. 1633): A bipartisan bill to improve the efficiency and global competitiveness of American manufacturers by establishing a smart manufacturing plan and providing assistance to small and medium-sized manufacturers in implementing smart manufacturing technologies in their facilities.

The measure now heads to the Senate, which is working on similar energy efficiency legislation.

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