Business and greens unite on energy recycling bills
Posted by Dick Munson on April 15th, 2010
When you’ve got Dow Chemical, the Sierra Club, and the Sheet Metal Workers union agreeing on something, you know it’s got to be good.
A slew of organizations have signed a letter urging Congress to pass bills that would promote energy recycling at industrial facilities. These organizations range from environmentalists to manufacturers to unions to contractors.
What’s this eclectic bunch pushing for? We want investment tax credits to encourage combined heat and power (CHP) and waste energy recovery, probably the best ways to slash greenhouse gas emissions and power costs simultaneously. The specific bills include:
- S. 1639, sponsored by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
- H.R. 4144, sponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA)
- H.R. 4751, sponsored by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
- H.R. 4455 sponsored by Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA) and John Linder (R-GA)
These bills would encourage near-term, shovel-ready projects that will create and maintain thousands of jobs. Moreover, as I pointed out in a recent E&E TV interview, energy costs would fall through increased efficiency. Not bad.
