Rep. Eshoo Votes for Key Energy Legislation in Committee
April 15, 2010
Washington, D.C. - As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) voted today for two key pieces of energy legislation designed to create jobs through energy efficiency retrofit incentives and protect electric grid infrastructure from potential threats. Both measures passed the Energy and Commerce Committee and will move to the Floor for a final vote before the full House of Representatives.
The Homestar Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 passed the Committee by a vote of 30-17 and will create a two-year, six billion dollar program designed to spur home energy retrofits by providing direct incentives to homeowners to install American-made energy-saving products and conduct whole-home retrofits. The bill is estimated to create 170,000 jobs and save families close to $10 billion in energy bills in the next decade. In 2011, it would save the electricity equivalent of 6.8 million barrels of oil.
"This is the type of legislation we need to help jumpstart clean energy industries. The bill gives much-needed incentives to homeowners to upgrade with energy efficient products. It will save money through efficiency, decrease energy use and create domestic jobs that can't be outsourced. It's a win for everyone," Rep. Eshoo said.
"I know personally just how important retrofitting can be and how much money it can save. I'm very proud that my District Office in Palo Alto was retrofitted and it is now Green Certified by the Bay Area Green Business Program. The improvements and policies we've introduced in my Palo Alto office save taxpayer money and reduce pollution and energy usage in our District."
H.R. 5026, the Grid Reliability and Infrastructure Defense (GRID) Act, passed the Committee by a unanimous vote of 47-0. The U.S. electric grid is increasingly reliant on automation and computer systems, which makes it potentially susceptible to cyberattacks. The bill provides the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority to issue emergency orders to protect the bulk power grid upon a presidential finding of either threats of cyberattacks, or physical interference.
"Government, businesses, and individuals all depend on grid reliability for our energy usage-from running supercomputers to turning on the lights," Rep. Eshoo said. "It's essential that we protect our grid by increasing our ability to adapt to threats and ensure our national security interests."
As a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Eshoo has been at the forefront of the cybersecurity issue in Congress and has participated in numerous classified hearings and briefings about potential vulnerabilities and threats to the electric grid. In 2008, she helped draft a white paper, recently cited in the President's 60-day cyber security review, about these vulnerabilities and the necessity of protective measures.
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