Efficiency First

The Energy Efficiency Coalition, which represents a diverse group of businesses, nonprofits and trade associations, has joined the HOME STAR Coalition in calling for HOME STAR legislation to be included in the Small Business Jobs Bill now under development in the Senate. Efficiency First was among 25 prominent companies and organizations that signed a letter  drafted by the Energy Efficiency Coalition and delivered to the Senate today. Here is the text of the EEC letter, which reinforces the message delivered to the Senate yesterday by the HOME STAR Coalition:

Dear Senators:

We, the undersigned members of the Energy Efficiency Coalition, represent a diverse group of energy efficiency, public interest, and private companies as well as environmental organizations.

We write to strongly urge you to include the bi-partisan HOME STAR legislation (S. 3434) in the pending Small Business Jobs legislation being considered in the Senate. HOME STAR is a triple-WIN helping some of the hardest hit industries in our economy while simultaneously:

• Rapidly Creating Jobs
• Contributing to Energy Independence
• Lowering Household Energy Bills

To date the unemployment level in the contracting sector remains unacceptably high as one out of every four construction workers is out of work. Now is the time to help this important part of the economy. Moreover, a study completed by ICF International indicates that HOME STAR would generate energy bill savings of $627M – $639M in its first year and an additional $812M to $820M in its second year. Savings from the legislation are expected to continue well beyond the two year lifespan of the program.

HOME STAR is a market-driven, low-bureaucracy program that will create jobs fast by scaling the existing home energy efficiency improvement industry. HOME STAR will use rebates and tax incentives to catalyze more Americans to begin making their homes more energy efficient. Consumers nationwide will embrace HOME STAR because it will be simple, accessible and help them save money on energy bills.

The HOME STAR legislation has bi-partisan support and over twenty-one co-sponsors in the Senate. HOME STAR also has the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

We strongly urge the Senate to move swiftly to include HOME STAR as part of the Small Business Jobs bill.

Sincerely,

• Alliance to Save Energy
• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
• Building Codes Assistance Project
• Conservation Law Foundation
• Conservation Services Group
• Council of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
• Danfoss
• Direct Energy
• The Dow Chemical Company
• Efficiency First
• Environment America
• Environmental and Energy Study Institute
• Green Strategies
• Knauf Insulation
• Lockheed Martin
• Masco Corporation
• Masco Home Services
• National Association of State Energy Officials
• National Association of Energy Service Companies
• Natural Resource Defense Council
• Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association
• Recurve
• Serious Materials
• Siemens
• Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance