Legislation

Senators John Kerry (D-Mass) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) introduced the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act of 2009 on October 23, 2009. The much-awaited Senate Climate bill establishes a strong cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions and emissions allocations for clean energy, worker training and transition assistance and climate adaptation.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee reported the American Clean Energy Leadership Act, a unified energy bill, on June 17th, 2009. The bill contains significant energy efficiency provisions including greatly strengthened building codes, a renewable electricity standard with an energy efficiency component, and new energy efficient product standards. ACELA sets no carbon reduction requirements.

The House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, a combined climate at energy bill, on June 26th, 2009. The comprehensive bill has the potential to advance energy efficiency more than any other single piece of legislation to date. The Alliance to Save Energy strongly supports the creation of a cap-and-trade program that sets a carbon price, implements complementary energy efficiency policies, and invests in complementary energy efficiency programs.

Signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is the single greatest federal investment in energy efficiency in United States history. The stimulus includes more than $25 billion dollars for core energy efficiency programs and billions more which can be directly or indirectly applied to energy efficiency projects. Our Stimulus Resources page provides a clearinghouse of information about the energy efficiency funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

On October 3rd, 2008 President Bush signed into law H.R. 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which contains new and renewed tax incentives for consumers and businesses for energy-efficient homes and commercial buildings, equipment, and vehicles. The incentives originally enacted as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 encourage highly efficient commercial buildings, new homes, home improvements, heating and cooling equipment, appliances, and hybrid and diesel vehicles.