Senator Collins Urges Colleagues to Pass Sweeping Energy Package That Includes Her Bills to Boost Renewable Power and Increase Efficiency
Click HERE to read Senator Collins’ remarks.
Click HERE to watch Senator Collins’ remarks on the Senate floor. Click HERE to download her remarks.
Washington, D.C.—From the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins urged her colleagues to advance the American Energy Innovation Act, a comprehensive energy package that includes four pieces of legislation she co-authored to support the use of clean, renewable power as well as improve energy efficiency and weatherization programs to save consumers money.
“Supporting research on innovative technologies like renewable offshore wind power and advancing next-generation energy storage will unlock the vast potential of clean energy. In addition, promoting energy efficiency can easily and effectively help consumers lower their energy consumption,” said Senator Collins. “I was pleased to see these bipartisan bills I authored in the comprehensive package because they will protect our environment and decrease energy costs, saving families, businesses, communities, and all levels of government money. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting adoption of the American Energy Innovation Act.”
The American Energy Innovation Act is a compilation of more than 50 energy-related measures that would modernize domestic energy laws to lower energy costs for consumers, diversify our energy portfolio, and facilitate the use of cleaner energy sources. Senator Collins’ provisions include:
· The Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act, introduced by Senators Collins and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), would reauthorize and reorient the Department of Energy’s (DOE) energy storage research and development efforts to facilitate breakthroughs on energy storage. The BEST Act would create well-defined objectives for energy storage projects and align research efforts across federal agencies and national labs. Click HERE to read more.
· The Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act, introduced by Senators Collins and Mark Warner (D-VA), would help streamline available federal energy efficiency programs, assist school administrators with navigating available federal financing, and reduce school buildings’ energy costs.
· The Weatherization Enhancement and Local Energy Efficiency Investment and Accountability Act, introduced by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Collins, and Jack Reed (D-RI), would reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program through 2024; modernize the definition of weatherization materials to include renewable energy technologies and other advanced technologies; allow re-weatherization of homes 15 years after past weatherization services were completed; and create a small, competitive grant program to support innovative weatherization practices.
· Wind Energy Research and Development Act, introduced by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Collins, would authorize and expand the DOE Office of Wind Energy for five years and direct the Secretary of Energy to award competitive grants to promote wind energy.
The American Energy Innovation Act also includes a number of other energy priorities Senator Collins advocated for.
