A group of bipartisan House members recently introduced a measure that would provide the government with more access to reliable and affordable energy sources.
Reps. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), Dave McKinley (R-W.Va.) and William Enyart (D-Ill.) on Thursday introduced their legislation to repeal Section 433 in the Energy Conservation and Production Act of 2007.
Section 433 requires a reduction in fossil fuel-generated energy, including coal and natural gas, in all new and modified federal buildings by the year 2030.
“President Obama continues to insist that he is supportive of an all-of-the-above energy policy, so I sincerely hope that he agrees with me that resources like coal should not be excluded from the energy sources being considered for the powering of federally-owned buildings,” Whitfield said.
The Department of Energy plans to issue a final rule implementing the 2007 requirement that would eliminate the future use of domestic energy using coal and natural gas as a fuel source in building new structures and retrofitting existing ones.
“At a time when job creation and fiscal discipline remain all-important, it makes sense for the federal government to live up to those principles,” Enyart said. “Coal is a cost effective energy source that puts America back to work.”