Manchin, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Help Improve Efficiency, Reduce Carbon Footprint Of Buildings

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Investing in New Strategies for Upgrading Lower Attaining Efficiency (INSULATE) Buildings Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide grants to states and territories, through the State Energy Program, to establish revolving loan funds for energy audits and efficiency upgrades, giving businesses and homeowners the resources they need to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and facilities. The bill would also prioritize funding for states with the poorest efficiency in buildings.

“Investing in energy efficiency is common sense – and unlike other energy resources, energy efficiency opportunities exist everywhere there are buildings. Buildings use a staggering 40% of all the energy consumed in the United States, and contribute nearly the same share of our greenhouse gas emissions. My bipartisan INSULATE Buildings Act provides a significant opportunity to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in buildings while helping us chart a path to a cleaner energy future,” said Chairman Manchin.

“When it comes to energy, Alaska is a high-cost, high-consumption state. Unfortunately, the efficiency of many buildings, homes and businesses is lacking, which drives those prices up even further,” said Senator Murkowski. “The INSULATE Buildings Act prioritizes energy efficiency improvements in states with the poorest building efficiency and gives businesses and homeowners resources to pursue improvements, clearly helping Alaska. This legislation is one more step toward my goal of making energy more affordable and reliable for all Alaskans.”

“The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), representing the energy offices in the states, territories and DC, supports this legislation,” said David Terry, Executive Director, NASEO. “This legislation will support state revolving loans that the energy offices have had experience operating for many years. We applaud this bipartisan effort by Senator Manchin and Senator Murkowski to fund important energy efficiency upgrades in both residential and commercial buildings. Saving people energy and money is always good policy.”

The INSULATE Buildings Act is supported by a broad coalition of organizations, including the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and Alliance to Save Energy.