Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding.

I would like to thank Congressman Welch from Vermont for his leadership on this bill as well. It is no secret that Congressman Welch is one of the great champions in the House on the issue of energy efficiency, and it has been my pleasure to work with him on this.

I would also like to thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Waxman for their support in guiding this bill through committee. This legislation is a great example of what we can do when we work together in a bipartisan fashion.

I would like to thank the majority and minority staffers. It is to their credit that they worked to craft an amended version of this bill that everybody could agree on. It was great to see

this bill pass unanimously out of the committee.

K-12 school districts spend billions on their energy bills every year, approximately $6 billion a year, according to Energy Star, second only to personnel costs, exceeding the costs of textbooks and exceeding the costs of supplies.

Energy expenses are one of the few costs that can be reduced while, at the same time, improving classroom instruction. In fact, high- performance schools can lower a school district's operating costs by up to 30 percent.

There are numerous Federal initiatives already available to schools to help them become more energy efficient. However, these programs are spread across the Federal Government, making it challenging, time consuming, and costly for schools to identify and take full advantage of these programs. I have heard it said that you practically need a degree in library science to research and find all of these programs.

First introduced in the Senate as S. 1084 by Senators Mark Udall and Susan Collins, the bipartisan Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act aims to provide a coordinating structure for schools to help them better navigate available Federal programs and financing options.

This legislation doesn't spend an additional dime and keeps decisionmaking authority with the States, with the school boards, and with the local officials.

The bill establishes a clearinghouse through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which will disseminate information on Federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be used to develop energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for schools.

I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

Again, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding and for his assistance in this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4092) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as the lead Federal agency for coordinating Federal, State, and local assistance provided to promote the energy retrofitting of schools, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 4092 directs the Secretary of Energy to develop a clearinghouse to publish information on Federal programs and financing tools that may be used to initiate, development, and finance energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for schools.

In doing so, H.R. 4092 directs the Secretary to coordinate with appropriate Federal agencies on a collaborative effort to streamline communications and promote available programs and financing mechanisms.

Schools spend approximately $6 billion each year on energy costs, making it the next largest expenditure after personnel costs. Well- designed energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements can stabilize or reduce these operating costs.

In fact, the most efficient schools use three times less energy than the least efficient schools. H.R. 4092 makes it easier for schools to access information on Federal programs and financing tools for pursuing such energy improvements.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will inquire if the gentleman from Maryland is prepared to close, as I am.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleagues across the aisle, and I urge the approval of this.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I encourage my colleagues to support Congressman Cartwright's bill establishing a clearinghouse which will assist schools in identifying existing Federal programs available to help schools initiate, develop, and finance energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects.

I congratulate Congressman Cartwright. This is a very thoughtful bill. It has broad stakeholder support. It makes a lot of common sense because there are these programs out there that are available to assist our schools, but sometimes connecting the dots is the challenge. This clearinghouse will help solve that.

This bill received unanimous bipartisan support in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

It is my pleasure now, Mr. Speaker, to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), the sponsor of the bill.

I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Congressman Cartwright's bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.