Energy Efficiency: Two Bills Aimed at Reducing Energy Consumption
The Heritage Foundation, March 12, 2014The House of Representatives and the Senate released separate energy efficiency bills to ostensibly save families, businesses, and government money and reduce energy consumption. The House recently passed Representative David McKinley’s (R–WV) Energy Efficiency Improvement Act (H.R. 2126), and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D–NH) and Rob Portman (R–OH) re-introduced the Industrial Savings and Competitiveness Act with several amendments.
Policymakers should recognize that government mandates, regulations, and taxpayer-funded “incentives” to drive efficiency empowers Washington and overrides the choices and preferences of Americans. Congress should limit the federal government’s authority over efficiency to strictly voluntary programs and promoting efficiency within the federal government.