ACEEE PRESS BRIEF
IN TOUGH TIMES, HOUSE FINDS SUPPORT FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
For further information, contact: Bill
Prindle at 202-429-8873
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2002
The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee yesterday approved
an 8% increase in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s energy efficiency
funding for Fiscal Year 2003. "This is an encouraging step
towards energy security, a stronger economy, and cleaner air,"
said ACEEE's Executive Director Steven Nadel. "For the Subcommittee
to increase efficiency funding in one of the toughest fiscal climates
in years is a vote of confidence in efficiency's key role in our
energy policy."
According to
Subcommittee figures, the Administration had requested an $11 million
cut in the 2003 budget for energy efficiency, but the Subcommittee
restored that and added another $72 million above the 2002 spending
level of $913 million.
ACEEE's research,
in addition to that of the National Academy of Sciences and DOE's
internal review, has shown that DOE's energy efficiency programs
return $4 to $75 in economic benefits for each federal dollar spent.
That doesn't include the benefits energy efficiency creates by reducing
air pollution or improving energy security.
Among the highlights
of the Subcommittee's bill:
-
$16 million
in new funds for research, design, and deployment (RD&D)
for distributed generation technologies such as combined heat
and power
-
an additional
$20 million for the low-income weatherization program
-
$11 million
in additional funding for industrial RD&D programs
While the overall
increase is encouraging, some important areas remain significantly
under-funded:
-
Appliance
standards. No increase from the 2002 budget was included, despite
the fact that the President's National Energy Policy plan in
2001 called for new efforts in this area, and the pending Congressional
energy bill directs DOE to begin several new appliance efficiency
rulemaking proceedings.
-
Buildings
RD&D. Important work in areas such as windows, appliances,
and ENERGY STAR® deployment remain significantly under-funded
in relation to the potential these programs hold. Especially
if new funding for regulatory approaches such as standards is
not approved, it would be all the more vital to support voluntary
programs like ENERGY STAR.
The Subcommittee
recommendation must also pass the full Appropriations Committee
and the full House. When the Senate completes its appropriations
work, the two bills will be reconciled in conference. A final 2003
budget will most likely be completed by the end of September. ACEEE
expects to work with the Senate to sustain and possibly increase
2003 Congressional support for energy efficiency.
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About ACEEE:The American Council
for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a non-profit organization dedicated
to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic
prosperity and environmental protection.
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