by Brianna Crandall — October 4, 2010—The Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) praised Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Sens. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Tom Udall (D-NM) for their bipartisan introduction September 21 of free-standing legislation that allows utilities to use energy efficiency to meet a mandated renewable electricity standard (RES).
“Today’s legislation is a major step forward in reducing consumers’ energy bills,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan, “and we are hopeful that the bipartisan support assembled by Chairman Bingaman will make it possible for the bill to be passed by the full Senate this year.” Callahan noted that Sen. Bingaman is an honorary vice-chair on the Alliance’s Board of Directors.
With the exception of its implementation beginning in 2012, the Bingaman bill’s RES provision is substantively identical to that contained in the 2009 American Clean Energy Leadership Act, which mandates a 15 percent RES by 2021, says ASE. The new bill specifies that following a petition from a governor, energy efficiency may count for up to about 25 percent of the RES requirement.
For more information, see the ASE Web site.
