Washington, D.C., January 16, 2009 – The Alliance to Save Energy today commended the House Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees for including in their economic recovery bills “robust” funding of some $32 billion – roughly 10 times any previous annual federal investment – for energy efficiency initiatives. (The two bills will be combined when they reach the House floor.)

“The House committees’ recommendations represent a major down payment on two important priorities for our nation – creating new jobs for our ailing economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan.

“The bills include many of our own recommendations for economic recovery – energy efficiency retrofits in public buildings and schools; creation of new ‘green’ jobs; low- income weatherization; creating a ‘smart grid’; and state and local efficiency and conservation block grants,” she added.

“What really amazes us is the size of the total package, amounting to more than $50 billion in clean energy investments and roughly $32 billion for energy efficiency. This emphasis validates the importance of initiatives that energy efficiency groups have been striving mightily for in recent years,” Callahan continued.

“By providing sufficient funding to maximize the potential of energy efficiency and clean energy programs, the economic recovery bill will allow our nation to invest in building the green economy of the future, reduce carbon emissions, and help consumers and businesses lower their energy costs,” she said.

The Alliance urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to follow the lead of the House in recommending robust funding for energy efficiency programs.