Volume 155, No. 9 covering the 1st Session of the 111th Congress (2009 - 2010) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SCHOOL BUILDING ENHANCEMENT ACT” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E100 on Jan. 15, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SCHOOL BUILDING ENHANCEMENT ACT
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HON. RUSH D. HOLT
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the School Building Enhancement Act, legislation that would help schools implement energy saving measures to reduce their energy costs.
According to the Department of Energy, DOE schools spent over $8 billion on energy in 2007--$2 billion more than they spent just two years earlier. Sky-rocketing energy costs have forced schools to spend more annually on heating and electricity than they spend on textbooks and computers combined. Energy is the second-highest operating expenditure for schools after personnel costs. Schools across the country are already facing tight budgets; rising energy costs will only worsen their budget situation and could lead to the loss of important school programs.
Fortunately, there are ways for schools to offset the soaring price of energy. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, 30 percent of energy consumed in buildings is used unnecessarily or inefficiently. By understanding where energy is used unwisely and implementing simple changes in the operations and maintenance of school buildings, a school's operating costs can be reduced by 5 to 25 percent. Schools that are seeking even greater long-term savings can retrofit their buildings with more efficient systems and replace old appliances. The $2 billion saved could be used for purchases that directly benefit our nation's students--such as hiring 30,000 new teachers or purchasing 40 million additional textbooks.
However, cash-strapped school systems often are unable to find the necessary financial resources to invest in these energy efficient upgrades. The School Building Enhancement Act would assist schools in making these improvements by providing grants to states and local educational agencies through the Department of Education for energy efficiency upgrades. These improvements would need to follow the guidelines of the EnergySmart Schools Program of the Department of Energy or the Energy Star for K-12 School Districts program at the Environmental Protection Agency.
If enacted, the School Building Enhancement Act would provide the needed funding for schools in my home state of New Jersey, and throughout the country, to implement energy efficiency measures that would help schools save thousands of dollars annually.
Schools that already have implemented energy efficiency measures have succeeded in achieving significant savings. For example, the Summerfield Elementary School in my home state of New Jersey has implemented energy efficiency measures that have reduced their consumption by 32 percent, allowing Summerfield to save $41,000 annually on energy costs. Summerfield is just one of many schools that are being built to use energy smarter and more efficiently. According to the EPA more than 800 schools have been Energy Star certified, saving an average of 40 cents per square foot in operating costs annually.
Twenty-five of my colleagues have joined me in introducing this important legislation to help cash-strapped schools achieve significant savings on their energy costs and protect the environment. I urge my colleagues to support the School Building Enhancement Act.
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