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As
energy prices continue to rise, every Mainer is
feeling the burden in their wallets. All of us must
deal with higher heating costs in the winter and
cooling costs in the summer as well as constant
increases in gasoline prices. This upward trend is
unlikely to reverse itself as we continue to rely on
our current energy sources to fuel an increasingly
growing economy and population. One potential way to
reduce costs, however, is by more efficiently and
effectively using the energy that we do have.
I have been advocating for many years
for increased energy efficiency in homes and
businesses. I strongly believe that there is no need
to be wasteful of something so precious and finite.
All too often we focus on energy production when, in
fact, we must also be mindful of our energy
consumption. To this end, I have authored
and supported numerous measures over the years to
help reduce the amount of energy we use.
Businesses are especially hard hit by our
inefficient use of energy resources because there is
a direct relationship between the health of our
economy and the cost of energy. And the more energy
it costs to run a business, the less of a profit the
business is able to make. In order to allow our
economy to continue to grow, we must not burden it
with crippling energy costs. Therefore it is vital
that we encourage businesses to cut down on energy
usage but still remain productive so we can ensure
that our economy does not falter.
With New England’s electricity use also
reaching all-time highs during this summer of record
topping heat waves, and with energy usage high in
the winter as well due to the usual cold
temperatures, average citizens are feeling a direct
hit from inefficient energy usage. It is time that
we combat extreme weather conditions with more
efficient energy methods. Given how difficult it is
for the average citizen to afford increasingly
higher energy prices while maintaining their
standard of living, it makes sense to pursue methods
that make decrease this burden on Maine residents
and businesses.
The Energy Bill, which the Senate
recently passed, is one way to address our nation’s
inefficient use of energy. This bill is a
legislative milestone and while not perfect, it
nevertheless provides $14 billion in tax incentives,
most of which are aimed at promoting conservation
and renewable fuel development. These incentives are
a huge part of a more thoughtful energy policy and
will prove essential to countless Mainers.
This
legislation includes several provisions based on the
Efficient Energy through Certified Technologies and
Electricity Reliability (EFFECTER) Act, legislation
that I introduced with my colleague Senator Dianne
Feinstein (D-CA) to provide targeted tax incentives
and standards for energy efficiency. The EFFECTER
Act provides tax incentives to build new homes that
save 30% to 50% of total energy costs. Of particular
significance is a provision that allocates $826
million to construct or retrofit commercial
buildings that reduce energy costs by 30% to 50%. It
also gives tax credits for using energy efficient
equipment for home or commercial use. It is my
sincere hope that this bill will help to curtail our
growing demand for energy while providing much
needed reliability to our electricity grid and
alleviating the energy costs of our homes and
businesses located in extreme temperatures.
Such a
bill is essential to cold winter states like Maine
because it includes incentives to weatherize and
retrofit homes and increase energy efficiency. These
incentives will aid the many people who suffer
through our long and often brutal winters due to
inadequately insulated homes. It is also critical to
lowering our heating bills and keeping our homes and
businesses warm for Mainers.
We need to bring a
greater balance and effectiveness to our nation’s
energy policy, especially during these times of
skyrocketing energy prices so it is becoming
increasingly clear that we need a comprehensive,
long-term national energy policy that promotes
energy efficiency. Increasing energy efficiency is a
simple and straightforward approach that will
drastically reduce energy costs for all citizens.
While we are well on our way to using energy in a
more effective manner, there is still a long way we
need to go and I pledge to continue my efforts to
make energy efficiency a greater part of our
national energy strategy.
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