VIDEO RELEASE: Shaheen Testifies Before Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee in Support of Portman-Shaheen Energy Efficiency Legislation

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy in support of the bipartisan energy efficiency legislation she has introduced with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC), which will improve energy efficiency in three key sectors – buildings, industrial, and the federal government. This legislation will reduce emissions, protect the environment, and create jobs. The legislation also includes important provisions to reduce water usage and promote energy conservation.

The video is available here.

During her testimony, Shaheen championed the benefits of energy efficiency, “As everybody knows, energy efficiency is the cheapest, fastest way to deal with our energy needs.” Shaheen pointed out that the country has saved more energy through efficiency in the last 40 years then it has produced through fossil fuels and nuclear power combined.

Shaheen went on to highlight the strong bipartisan support the legislation has had for the past 8 years, “This is a bill that has passed the Committee virtually every Congress that we’ve introduced it. We introduced it for the first time in 2011. I think that speaks for itself.” Shaheen also emphasized the robust approval the legislation enjoys from stakeholders, including the Leading Builders of America, the American Chemistry Council and the National Resources Defense Council. “It’s rare we find a piece of legislation that has a broad array of advocates supporting it.”

Shaheen concluded by stressing the enormous benefits the bill would bring and its ability to pass and become law, “We can actually pass it through the Congress this year. We have, I think, much more support in the House than we’ve had in some past sessions. It has strong bipartisan support. The last time it passed through the full Senate, it passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, so this is legislation that can get done, it can actually provide some savings. There are real benefits to passing the legislation. I would urge the Committee to consider it and pass it out again so that we can actually make it into law.”

Shaheen is a champion of efforts to promote energy efficiency in the Senate. Alongside reintroducing the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC) with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) has also recently passed a number of Shaheen’s bipartisan energy efficiency legislative priorities, including her bill with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to promote innovation, energy efficiency and economic competitiveness of American manufacturers.