Nearly 200 organizations urge Senate to adopt energy-efficiency provision in climate legislation

Green For All is part of a coalition of nearly 200 organizations that is pressing the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to adopt a key amendment to the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. 

The amendment would create 1 million clean-energy jobs, by requiring utilities to invest in energy-efficiency renovations for millions of buildings nationwide.

Today the coalition released a press statement.  Read it below.

If you live in California, 

call Senator Boxer about the provision now.
Learn more about the amendment here.

NEARLY 200 ORGANIZATIONS URGE SENATE TO ADOPT ENERGY-EFFICIENCY PROVISION IN CLIMATE LEGISLATION

 
Measure Would Create Clean-Energy Jobs, Save Americans Money, and Reduce Carbon Pollution
 
Washington, D.C. (November 2, 2009) – As the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) takes up the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act this week, a diverse coalition has come together to urge the EPW Committee to include an additional energy-efficiency measure that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, lower electricity costs for consumers and businesses, and reduce pollution that causes global warming.   
 
The coalition – consisting of nearly 200 business, labor, civil rights, and environmental groups – has sent a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairwoman of EPW, to support the important provision that would require an investment in energy-efficiency equivalent to at least one-third the value of the  allowance allocations given to electric utilities.  
 
According to recent analyses, the adoption of this energy-efficiency provision would help to:
 

• Generate $100 billion in electric-efficiency investments;
• Create more than 900,000 new jobs by 2020 in construction, energy service, building maintenance, and operations; and
• Reduce residential, commercial, and industrial energy bills by approximately $300 billion.

 
Following is a joint statement from the broad-based coalition:
 
“We believe that the adoption of an additional electric utility, energy-efficiency measure in the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act will reap tremendous benefits for our economy and consumers.

Energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest and cleanest way to reduce our carbon pollution. We urge the Environment and Public Works Committee to act now by adopting this provision to create jobs, reduce pollution, and save consumers and businesses money.”
 
To read the letter, go to: www.greenforall.org/epwletter 

For more information about the benefits of energy efficiency, see: Climate Change Policy as an Economic Redevelopment Opportunity: The Role of Productive Investments in Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

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Media Contacts:
 

Marni Tomljanovic                                  Michael Oko                Maggie Duncan

Green For All                                          NRDC                          M+R Strategic Services
[email protected]         [email protected]           [email protected]
212.691.2800                                          202.513.6245               202.478.6129