Energy Bill includes NEMA-advocated provisions.

Press Release Summary:



Signed into law by President Bush, HR 6 Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 includes NEMA-advocated provisions that span various areas in order to maintain national approach to energy efficiency. Addressed areas include lighting, electric motors, standby power, and green building codes. Smart grid policies, also included, support research, development, and demonstration of smart grid technologies.



Original Press Release:



Energy Bill with NEMA-Advocated Provisions Signed Into Law



ROSSLYN, Va. --Today, President Bush signed H.R. 6 the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law. The legislation is the result of a year-long legislative process that resulted in several modifications before congressional passage in December, and a final product that would receive White House support. Throughout this process, NEMA lobbied extensively to that ensure industry-backed provisions were included, with success.

The energy package originally included a host of energy tax provisions, some controversial, that prevented the Senate from passing it, and also drew a veto threat from the White House. Therefore, to craft a bill that could be signed into law, the tax provisions were dropped from the energy package, including the NEMA-backed provision to extend the commercial building tax deduction that expires Dec. 31, 2008.

H.R. 6 includes key NEMA-advocated provisions. Throughout the discussions between industry stake-holders, members of Congress, and congressional staff, NEMA's hard-fought policies received bipartisan support, were agreed to, and adopted into the final bill. Some of these provisions included:

Standards and Codes: New energy-efficiency standards for light bulbs, metal halide lighting fixtures, electric motors, and standby power; and energy building codes High-performance buildings: Policies to support commercial high-performance, "green" buildings Smart grid: Policies to support research, development, and demonstration of "smart grid" technologies Federal buildings: Making permanent the energy savings performance contract, and requirements for energy-efficient lighting systems "Even though the bill does not include certain tax incentives to promote energy efficiency, I am very pleased that Congress was able to pass sound legislation that NEMA and its members supported," said NEMA's President and CEO Evan Gaddis. "The energy-efficiency standards in this bill-now law-will maintain a robust national approach to efficiency, and enable all of America to become much more energy-efficient."

The provisions in the bill are estimated to save consumers more than $400 billion between now and 2030, reducing U.S. energy use by 7% and U.S. carbon emissions by 9%. The lighting provision itself represents $13 billion in energy cost savings to consumers by 2020, preventing about 100 million tons per year of carbon dioxide pollution, and eliminating the need for 60 mid-sized power plants.

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. These products are used in utility, medical imaging, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Domestic production of electrical products sold worldwide exceeds $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing, São Paulo, and Mexico City.

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