The cuts include the elimination of the successful ENERGY STAR programme and sharp reductions at the Department of Energy (DOE). According to DOE, energy efficiency supports nearly 2.2 million jobs across the country. It does so while saving consumers money, reducing pollution and strengthening grid stability and energy security.
“This is a destructive proposal that walks away from decades of bipartisan support for energy efficiency going back to the Reagan administration and beyond” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “We oppose these cuts in the strongest possible terms and will do everything we can to fight them in Congress. The budget ignores the fact that energy efficiency creates jobs and economic growth. Every time we successfully encourage an efficiency project or product, we are supporting jobs - whether it’s a factory job manufacturing high-efficiency windows and appliances or a construction worker weatherising homes.”
Ms Callahan added that Energy Star is a remarkable success story, being one of the most successful public-private partnerships in history. It is a federal programme that costs $50 million to administer but delivers annual savings of more than $34 billion to consumers in reduced energy costs. It cuts pollution significantly and drives innovation and economic activity. There are currently 16,000 partner companies and organisations and Energy Star branded products have been installed in almost half of American households. This makes the programme a model for government programmes around the world.
Alongside Energy Star, DOE’s work on energy efficiency is world-class. The research and development helps American manufacturers become more efficient and profitable and drives new technologies that make American companies more competitive. It saves consumers and businesses billions of dollars, with the appliance efficiency standards developed by the agency delivering $63 billion in utility bill savings for consumers and business in 2015 alone. Eliminating the Weatherisation Assistance Programme will only hurt struggling families who are trying to reduce their energy bills.
Founded in 1977, the Alliance to Save Energy is one of the leading energy efficiency coalitions in the nation – a nonprofit, bipartisan alliance of business, government, environmental and consumer leaders advocating for enhanced energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy. Its mission is to promote energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier economy, a cleaner environment and energy security.
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