The U.S. Senate unanimously passed S 535, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015. The Act is expected to produce about $4.6 billion in annual energy savings by 2030 with a small cost to taxpayers and zero government mandates, according to Fierce Energy.
The bill is expected to:
- Allow the use of grid-enabled water heaters
- Create new jobs
- Encourage energy-efficient practices in leased spaces
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduce energy use from the already existing environment.
Its four main targets of change include:
- A voluntary, market-driven approach to reducing energy consumption and keeping business owners content
- Exemption of certain electric resistance water heaters used for responses from the Department of Energy
- Federal agencies to coordinate with OMB, DOE and EPA to develop an implementation strategy for the maintenance, purchase and use of energy-efficient and energy-saving information technologies
- Data disclosure to those that don't use energy-saving products.
If the Act is passed by the House of Representatives, it will require building leasers to disclose the amount of energy they use, when they're able to, if they don't have Energy Star labels.
The House of Representatives is set to reconvene in mid-April.
Senators Rob Portman and Jeanne Shaheen passed the bill after a year-long battle due to political alliance problems.
The full bill can be read in its entirety here.
Alban Inspectors can help maximize your energy efficiency closer to home with their "C's": cost and comfort. Alban offers residential energy audits that both examine preexisting home conditions and challenge future home emissions.
The findings of the audit are paired with how you can make changes that fit into what you want and what you can afford. Schedule a consultation with Alban today for home energy efficiency audit, radon testing or other inspection needs.