New jobs bill language pays homage to industrial EE

Today, legislative language was released for a Senate jobs bill that will likely be introduced in the coming weeks. ACEEE is pleased that $11.5 billion for energy efficiency has been included as a key component of the bill. Of that money, $4 billion would be allocated for industrial energy efficiency and productivity.

The bulk of the money ($3.5 billion) would go to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in DOE as a continuation of the industrial energy efficiency grants awarded through ARRA, which proved to attract far more solicitations than the amount of available funding could support. Of that money, $250 million would be allotted specifically to small and medium-sized manufacturers, a critical segment of the industrial sector that is too often overlooked, and $500 million would be set aside for projects using "smart manufacturing" technologies, such as sensors, controls, and information networks.

Also included in the industrial energy efficiency provisions of the potential bill are

• $440 million for the Defense Production Act to provide grants and loans to support U.S. manufacturing capabilities for critical technology items and materials manufacturers who are critical to our national industrial base
• $50 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships to waive cost-match requirements for funding manufacturing improvement projects.

We are thrilled that champions in the Senate have come to acknowledge the vast potential for energy savings through investments in industrial energy efficiency, the likes of which will retain and create jobs, enhance the competitiveness of American manufacturing, and ensure the sustainability of U.S. industries for the long term.