A Day on the Hill on Behalf of Peter Van Buren (Baltimore, MD)
A Day on the Hill
Last Thursday, 7/23, I talked to some Republicans. This is not my normal routine.
Normally, I hang with the Blues. I’m from Baltimore, in Maryland, after all. We haven’t had any surprises on Election Day in quite awhile.
But that’s part of the change we are initiating with Home Performance. The solutions we offer are truly non-partisan. Who doesn’t want to reduce energy bills while improving comfort and health, creating green local jobs and stopping global warming? That’s an agenda with wide spread appeal.
Kevin Kappel, our Washington-based EF Lobbyist, had set-up appointments for Matt Golden (Sustainable Spaces), Rick Gerardi (Masco) and I to discuss the REEP bill with Republican Reps from Austin, Minneapolis and Northern VA. All three aides were very receptive and honestly pleased that we had brought the bill to their attention.
We were trying to build bi-partisan support for REEP. Ages ago in April, Congressman Welch introduced the REEP bill on a Thursday as an individual piece of legislation. By the next Tuesday, it had been rolled into the Kong-sized energy& climate bill, essentially making it untouchable for any Republican. So the staff we talked with had never heard of the REEP provisions.
Passage of the mammoth Waxman-Markey bill is in doubt. REEP still exists as a stand alone bill. So, if the American Clean Energy and Security Act fails, it’s possible that Congress will unanimously support REEP as a step to address energy and climate concerns. A first step is better than no step at all.
Our hill tour introduced this strong piece of legislation to a new audience. You can’t support something you never heard of. Hopefully, we will see its passage one way or the other, and obtain the on-going, substantial, performance-based incentives we need to build the Home Performance sector and deliver energy benefits to all homeowners.
And I do sort of think a day of lobbying is better than a day at the office.
Peter Van Buren
TerraLogos Green Home Services
Chair, Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Efficiency First
Baltimore, MD
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Thanks Peter, it was great having you there.
Stay tuned as we will soon be announcing an Efficiency First lobby day in DC to support REEP. It will most likely be happening at the end of September (to be announced soon).
If you have not participated in the democratic process (and even if you have!), now is your time to step up and support our industry and the future of home energy in the US Congress.
All members are welcome — and we will be sure to mix work with pleasure at every opportunity.
Looking forward to seeing a lot of folks turn out!
Matt,
It would be great to be a part of REEP lobby efforts! Chance this week there is a helpful roll one could play? (considering heading to DC Wed Aug.5 – Fri.)
I look forward to hearing about opportunities to support REEP in DC.
best, adin
Sorry if we already missed this trip out, but there are always things that any of our members can do — and we would be happy to work with you to create a plan.
Start by emailing jared@efficiencyfirst.org and we can look at your local congress-persons and come up with some first steps.