The Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 () is a bill that would require the

United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...

to establish a centralized clearinghouse to disseminate information on federal programs, incentives, and mechanisms for financing energy-efficient retrofits and upgrades at schools. The bill would require the DOE to collect the data from all federal agencies and store it in one place online. The bill was introduced into the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

during the

113th United States Congress The 113th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015, during the fifth and sixth years of Barack Obama's presidency. It was composed of the ...

Provisions of the bill

''This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the

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, a

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source.'' The Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 would amend the

Energy Policy and Conservation Act The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) () is a United States Act of Congress that responded to the 1973 oil crisis by creating a comprehensive approach to federal energy policy. The primary goals of EPCA are to increase energy pro ...

to direct the

United States Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fifteenth in the presidential line of succession. The position was created on October 1, 1977, when Pr ...

( DOE), acting through the

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is an office within the United States Department of Energy. Formed from other energy agencies after the 1973 energy crisis, EERE is led by the Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency an ...

, to act as the lead federal agency for coordinating and disseminating information on existing federal programs and assistance that may be used to help initiate, develop, and finance

energy efficiency Energy efficiency may refer to: * Energy efficiency (physics), the ratio between the useful output and input of an energy conversion process ** Electrical efficiency, useful power output per electrical power consumed ** Mechanical efficiency, a ra ...

, renewable energy, and energy retrofitting projects for schools. The bill would require the Secretary to: (1) carry out a review of existing programs and financing mechanisms available in or from appropriate federal agencies with jurisdiction over energy financing and facilitation that are currently used or may be used for such purposes; (2) establish a federal cross-departmental collaborative coordination, education, and outreach effort to streamline communication and promote available federal opportunities and assistance for such projects that enables states, local educational agencies, and schools to use existing federal opportunities more effectively and to form partnerships with

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, state energy programs, local educational, financial, and energy officials, state and local officials, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate entities to support project initiation; (3) provide technical assistance for states, local educational agencies, and schools to help develop and finance projects that meet specified requirements; (4) develop and maintain a single online resource website with contact information for relevant technical assistance and support staff in the Office for states, local educational agencies, and schools to effectively access and use federal opportunities and assistance to develop such projects; and (5) establish a process for recognition of schools that have successfully implemented such projects and are willing to serve as resources for other local educational agencies and schools to assist initiation of similar efforts.

Congressional Budget Office report

''This summary is based largely on the summary provided by the

Congressional Budget Office The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the United States Congress, legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress. Ins ...

, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 30, 2014. This is a

source.'' H.R. 4092 would require the Secretary of Energy to establish a centralized clearinghouse to disseminate information on federal programs, incentives, and mechanisms for financing energy-efficient retrofits and upgrades at schools. The bill would direct the Secretary to work with other federal agencies to develop a comprehensive list of such federal programs and to streamline efforts to publicize them through education and outreach. Based on information from the Department of Energy (DOE) about current levels of spending for similar efforts, the

(CBO) estimates that enacting H.R. 4092 would not significantly affect the federal budget. We estimate that any additional costs incurred by DOE to expand existing efforts to promote opportunities to boost energy efficiency of schools under H.R. 4092 would total less than $500,000 annually, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 4092 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore,

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procedures do not apply. H.R. 4092 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the

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and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.

Procedural history

The Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 was introduced into the

on February 26, 2014, by Matt CartwRep. Matthew A. Cartwright (D, PA-17). The bill was referred to the

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and the

United States House Energy Subcommittee on Energy and Power The Subcommittee on Energy and Power is a subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It was formed during the 112th Congress The 112th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the Unit ...

. The bill was scheduled to be voted on under a

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on June 23, 2014.

Debate and discussion

Rep. Cartwright, who introduced the bill, argued that "the bill is a strategic and cost-saving investment to relieve the fiscal pressure felt by schools across the country while bringing us closer to energy security." Cartwright cited statistics from

Energy Star Energy Star (trademarked ''ENERGY STAR'') is a program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that promotes energy efficiency. The program provides information on the energy consumption of pr ...

indicating that schools in the United States spend $6 billion a year on energy bills, the second largest category of spending after personnel.

ASHRAE The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE ) is an American professional association seeking to advance heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration The term refrigeration refers to the ...

, formerly the "American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers", supported the bill. The

U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...

also supported the bill, saying that it "aims to make important improvements to existing federal policies."

References

External links