Gita Subramony for Zondits, March 27, 2015
After much delay caused by partisan bickering, the Shaheen-Portman Act was passed by the Senate. The bill, which promotes energy efficiency and emissions reductions, was generally supported by both sides of the aisle early on, but fell victim to political infighting in 2014. Finally, after being re-introduced earlier this year, the bill has passed the Senate. The Alliance to Save Energy indicates that the policies outlined in the bill will result in 192,000 new jobs, $16.2 billion in energy savings, and 95 million metric tons of carbon reductions.
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Energy efficiency bill passes Senate in early morning
The Hill, March 27, 2015
Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) squeaked in a vote early Friday morning on their energy efficiency bill after the Senate ended an hours-long marathon on the budget.
The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act was passed by voice vote, with the two senators the only two on the floor after 4 a.m. Friday. The legislation focuses on improving energy efficiency in buildings, while also exempting thermal storage water heaters from upcoming energy standards.