Shaheen Introduces Legislation to Boost Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Investments in Rural Communities
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Energy Circuit Riders Act to help ensure communities in rural America can take advantage of cost savings from energy efficiency and clean energy projects. Shaheen’s bill would establish a new grant program within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to help eligible entities hire local, on-the-ground experts that travel to rural communities and provide assistance on projects that can help save energy, cut costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Granite State communities are facing sky-high electricity prices and investing in energy efficiency and clean energy is an important tool for bringing these costs down," said Senator Shaheen. "Energy Circuit Riders will help small towns and rural communities make improvements to become more energy efficient, reduce emissions and lower their energy bills.”
The Energy Circuit Riders Shaheen’s bill supports would work with local governments in rural areas to provide assistance, such as energy planning, energy audits, grant writing, identifying federal, state, local and utility-based energy incentives and more. The legislation is modeled after a successful Energy Circuit Rider program in New Hampshire run by Clean Energy NH, a nonprofit based in Concord, New Hampshire.
“Rural communities often face the highest energy costs and the fewest resources to do something about it. The Energy Circuit Riders Act gives local governments access to practical, technology-neutral technical assistance—helping them cut energy waste, lower bills, and make smarter investments with taxpayer dollars. This is about common-sense support for towns that want to do more with less.” said Sam Evans Brown, Executive Director of Clean Energy New Hampshire.
Shaheen’s legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The legislation is also endorsed by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Shaheen leads legislative action in the U.S. Senate to support energy efficiency projects and initiatives. Last month, Shaheen pushed back on the Trump administration’s plans to scrap the Energy Star Program, which helps Americans save on energy costs.
Shaheen was a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided an approximately $6 billion investment in energy efficiency, including funding for residential, municipal, industrial and federal entities to implement efficiency upgrades based upon her longstanding bipartisan legislation with former U.S. Senator Rob Portman.
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