July 19, 2004—A bipartisan amendment extending Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) through October 2005 will save the federal government precious tax dollars and make federal agencies more energy efficient, the Alliance to Save Energy said recently.
According to Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the popular and innovative ESPC program is the premier tool for promoting energy efficiency within the federal government, and when the program lapsed last October, it halted more than $300 million in projects nationwide.
Under an ESPC, an energy services company privately finances projects that increase the energy efficiency of a federal facility—with no up-front costs to the government agency. The company is paid back in the resulting energy savings—saving millions of tax dollars each year.
The amendment was championed by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) with cosponsors including Alliance Vice Chairs Bingaman and Sen. Susan Collins, as well as Alliance Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-ND), as part of the Defense Authorization Bill that passed the Senate recently.
For more information, contact The Alliance to Save Energy.
