Congressional Education Day 2011: Alliance Associates Advocate for Energy Efficiency on the Hill
Washington D.C., Feb. 15, 2011 — Today on Capitol Hill, the Alliance hosted its 11th Congressional Education Day, which brings Alliance Associate members face-to-face with members of Congress and their staff. In these intimate meetings, Associates make the case for energy efficiency by discussing their unique energy efficiency work and the potential of key federal policies.
“Associates’ participation demonstrates that energy efficiency helps businesses and the economy,” said Alliance Senior Vice President for Policy and Research Floyd DesChamps. “Giving policymakers an inside look at the benefits of energy efficiency to Americans outside the beltway is what Congressional Education Day is all about.”
Associates Visit 20 Senate, House Offices
More than 20 Alliance Associates met with 20 Senate and House offices to discuss issues such as President Obama’s fiscal year 2012 budget request, the new national lighting standards, building codes, and a clean energy standard.
In addition to meeting with members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Alliance Associates visited 13 Republican offices and seven Democratic offices of both new and re-elected members of Congress. Of particular note, Associates discussed the new lighting standards with several cosponsors of the light bulb repeal legislation.
The Message: Energy Efficiency Works
In small groups led by the Alliance policy team, Associates came to members of Congress and their staff with the message that energy efficiency:
- Creates domestic jobs through deployment;
- Limits waste and saves American consumers and businesses money;
- Lowers manufacturing costs and makes us more competitive globally;
- Reduces reliance on imported energy and makes our country more secure; and
- Lessens pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Great Energy Efficiency Day
The Congressional Education Day precedes Great Energy Efficiency Day (GEED) on Feb. 16. At GEED, which is free and open to the public, members of Congress and panel experts are discussing energy efficiency legislation opportunities in job creation and workforce training; building codes and retrofits; industrial incentives and technologies; and standards and labeling.
