Repower America News Releases

President Obama, joined by former President Clinton and business leaders, today announced the next steps in the Better Buildings Initiative to unleash private sector investments in energy efficiency improvements for our nation’s buildings.

Senators Snowe, Bingaman, and Feinstein on Monday introduced a bill to create a tax credit that would reward homeowners who reduce the amount of energy they use in their homes. The proposed “Cut Energy Bills at Home Act” creates a sliding scale of tax credits based on the amount of energy saved in a home, providing up to $5000 for lowering energy use in one’s home by half.

Environment America joined consumer, energy efficiency and environmental organizations in praising Secretary of Energy Steven Chu for finalizing stronger efficiency standards for heating and cooling systems. The standards, supported by manufacturers, consumer groups, energy efficiency organizations, and environmental groups, would reduce global warming pollution by 143 million tons over 30 years -- the equivalent of taking one coal plant off line every year.

A bill introduced this week in the U.S. House of Representatives would extend an Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for offshore wind power worth up to 30 percent of the cost of the project.  The bill, H.R. 3238, was introduced by Representatives Pascrell (NJ – 8, Democrat) and LoBiondo (NJ – 2, Republican), and seeks to jump-start the offshore wind industry in America by providing the ITC for the first 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind projects.  A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, S. 1397, by Senators Carper (DE, Democrat) and Snowe (ME, Republican).