Alliance to Save Energy Commends Emphasis on Energy Efficiency in Managers’ Amendment to Lieberman-Warner Bill

For Further Information
Ronnie Kweller (202) 530-2203; rkweller@ase.org

For Immediate Release

Washington, D.C., May 23, 2008 – “We commend Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and her colleagues for recognizing the importance of energy efficiency in climate legislation that will be taken up by the Senate on June 2nd,” said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy of the Manager’s Amendment to the Lieberman -Warner bill. “A carbon cap and trade would help drive energy efficiency, but other drivers also will be needed beyond a price signal,” she said. “The Alliance supports strong complementary policies under a cap and trade to maximize the impact of energy efficiency in achieving early reductions.

“Energy efficiency is the quickest and cheapest means of achieving significant reductions in carbon emissions, and I am pleased that under the Managers’ Amendment crafted by Sen. Boxer, funding for energy efficiency would increase many-fold – to levels on the order of $25 billion annually from 2012 to 2050,” stated Callahan.

Sen. Boxer will offer her amendment as a substitute to the Lieberman-Warner bill when the Senate reconvenes after the Memorial Day recess and proceeds to consider the climate change bill.

“The Managers’ Amendment reflects the crucial role energy efficiency must play in reducing carbon emissions,” Callahan stated. “While we would like to see some changes in the way the amendment would deploy energy-efficiency programs, we appreciate that funding for energy efficiency is being ‘carved out’ so efficiency doesn’t compete against low-income assistance or other key features of the bill.”

”The Alliance to Save Energy urges the Senate to support the energy-efficiency provisions contained in the Managers’ Amendment during the forthcoming debate on S. 2191,” concluded Callahan.

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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, the economy, and national security.