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-- Statement by Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan --
Washington, D.C., April 5, 2005 – “As Congress begins marking up an energy bill today, and with oil, gas, and natural gas prices fluctuating at or near record levels and demand continuing to soar, any energy policy adopted by the U.S. Congress must unleash the full potential of energy efficiency. “Last year’s energy bill, H.R. 6, contained some provisions boosting energy efficiency, but it did not do nearly enough to make energy efficiency a cornerstone of national energy policy. Any retreat by Congress at this critical time would do a disservice to consumers, business, and industry, which are reeling from the ‘extra tax’ of today’s high energy prices.
“We call on Congress to develop policies addressing our oil use, particularly in transportation, our largest oil-using sector. We also need upgrades in energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment. Such standards deliver energy and dollar savings to consumers and businesses alike, lower national energy use, reduce global warming pollution, and help avoid construction of new power plants.
“We also call on Congress to enact market-friendly tax incentives to encourage use of energy-efficiency technologies. By lowering energy costs in every sector of our economy, such tax incentives provide a return on investment that far exceeds any up-front costs to the government.”
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The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, economy, and national security.
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