May 2012 Energy Efficiency Policy Update: Transportation, Shaheen-Portman, Bass-Matheson

Date: May 02, 2012

Author(s):

Surface Transportation Reauthorization Status

On March 14, the Senate passed “MAP-21," which reauthorizes transportation funding across the United States for two years. If passed, MAP-21 would help make our transportation systems more efficient.
On March 29, Congress approved a 90-day, short-term extension for transportation funding that gives House leaders until June 30 to revamp its own long-term bill, pass it and conference it with the Senate.
On April 18, the House passed its own transportation bill that extends the authority to use funding from the federal Highway Trust Fund through Sept. 30.
The House and the Senate identified conferees and plan to begin negotiations on both transportation bills on May 8. Congress has until June 30 to pass a transportation bill.

On April 19, Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Rob Portman delivered a letter [.pdf] urging Senate Leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell to schedule a vote on S. 1000 as soon as possible.
Through the Alliance’s advocacy efforts, over 10,000 emails were sent to senators’ offices urging them to ask their leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
You can help by contacting your senators and asking them to call on Senate leadership to consider this important energy efficiency bill.

Seen as the companion bill in the House to Shaheen-Portman, the Smart Energy Act has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
The bill is expected to gain bipartisan support from House Energy & Commerce Committee members; bipartisan support is needed to urge Chairman Upton to schedule a hearing on the bill.

On April 26, the Senate Committee on Appropriations finalized recommended allocations for FY2013, which includes:
- $220,000,000 for building technologies;
- $168,635,000 for advanced manufacturing;
- $30,000,000 for the Federal Energy Management Program;
- $145,000,000 – an increase of $6,000,000 over the administration’s budget request – for the Weatherization Assistance Program;
- $50,000,000 for State Energy Programs; and
- $10,000,000 for Tribal Energy Activities.
The Alliance updated its Funding Chart [.pdf] to reflect proposed spending levels for key Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office programs.

On April 24, The House Select Committee on Revenue Measures held a hearing on certain expiring tax provisions.
The Alliance on behalf of its Energy Efficiency Coalition will submit letters in support of the New Energy Efficient tax credit [.pdf] and the Appliance tax credit [pdf] for the hearing record (anyone can submit such comments).
The Alliance sent over 16,000 emails to Congress supporting these tax credit extensions that help homeowners become more energy efficient.
You can help by contacting your congressional representatives and asking them to extend these important energy efficiency tax credits.