U.S. House Committee Passes Comprehensive Clean Energy Legislation

Sources:
(1) House Energy and Commerce Committee press release, "Energy and Commerce Committee Passes Comprehensive Clean Energy Legislation." May 21, 2009. (2) "Analysis of Waxman-Markey Climate and Energy Bill." Alliance to Save Energy. May 21, 2009.

The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee has approved The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) by a vote of 33 to 25. This legislation is a comprehensive approach to America's energy policy that charts a new course towards a clean energy economy.

The ACES Act will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America's energy independence, and cut global warming pollution. To meet these goals, the legislation has four titles:

A clean energy title that promotes renewable sources of energy, carbon capture and sequestration technologies, clean electric vehicles, and the smart grid and electricity transmission.
An energy efficiency title that increases energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including buildings, appliances, transportation, and industry.
A global warming title that places limits on emissions of heat-trapping pollutants. This legislation would cut global warming pollution by 17% compared to 2005 levels in 2020, by 42% in 2030, and by 83% in 2050. These are science-based targets and within the range agreed to by USCAP.
A title that protects U.S. consumers and industry and promotes green jobs during the transition to a clean energy economy.

Included among several provisions of ACES aimed at addressing policy barriers to energy efficiency investment is an aggressive policy and timetable for improvement and nationwide implementation of building energy codes. ACES encourages independent code-setting organizations--the International Code Council® and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers--to continue developing the energy codes, and state and local governments to adopt and enforce these--or equivalent--codes within a specific timeframe, but allows the Department of Energy (DOE) to step in if the independent organizations failed to meet established energy efficiency targets. One possible DOE course of action would be to enforce the federal energy code in jurisdictions which fail to meet the ACES building energy code requirements.

The legislation has received wide support from electric utilities; energy companies; manufacturing, industry, and corporate companies; labor unions; and community and environmental organizations. Before a full House vote may take place, the bill will be reviewed by several House Committees within whose jurisdictions certain ACES provisions fall.

For more information, view the House Energy and Commerce Committee press release or the Alliance to Save Energy's analysis of the bill.