August 15, 2003—The US Senate recently replaced a new energy bill it had been working on (S. 14) with a bill that was passed last year (H.R. 4). The Senate then voted to pass H.R. 4. This version of the energy bill would ban oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, increase fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles, provide incentives for a proposed natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the Lower 48, and mandate that 5 billion gallons of ethanol be blended with gasoline within the next decade. More importantly to FMs, the bill would provide tax incentives for energy efficiency in facilities —a measure supported by BOMA International, an advocate for the commercial real estate community.
Based on a report from BOMA International
