The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), St. Louis, announced its support of the Shaheen-Portman Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC). Reintroduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) on April 18, the bill offers a deficit-neutral framework to promote the transition to a more energy-efficient economy while driving economic growth and encouraging private sector job creation. This bill uses a variety of low-cost tools to reduce barriers for private-sector energy users and will drive adoption of off-the-shelf efficiency technologies among the largest energy consumers, said NAED in a release.
Of special interest to the association’s members are provisions in the bill that create incentives for the purchase of motors and transformers that would aid in energy efficiency, and a commercial buildings energy efficiency financing initiative.
The updated legislation builds upon the earlier Congressional support for energy efficiency legislation by embracing a bipartisan approach that will spur the use of energy efficiency technologies in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors. A study by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that last year’s version would have saved consumers $4 billion by 2020 and helped businesses add 80,000 jobs to the economy.