Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) outlined the importance of two energy bills on Tuesday during a House Ways and Means Committee markup on the legislation.
Gardner’s Energy Savings Through Public-Private Partnerships Act would set a performance-contracting goal of $1 billion to complete energy-saving projects at federal facilities.
“This legislation has a simple focus on promoting performance contracting through the use of energy savings performance contracting and utility service contracts,” Gardner said. ” These contracts allow a private company to perform energy upgrades on federal buildings. Private companies assume all the costs and risk with energy efficiency upgrades. They receive payment only after the energy savings from the upgrades are realized.”
The federal government operates approximately three billion square feet of office space, Gardner said, and taxpayers pay an “enormous” cost to heat and cool those facilities.
Gardner said an amendment to the bill would be introduced to clarify the definition of a federal building. The amendment would also require that agencies report to Congress in 2015 and 2016 on the usage and success of performance contracts.
“…This bill will creates jobs, save taxpayer money and reduce waste,” Gardner said.
Gardner’s Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, meanwhile, would streamline the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approval process and approve to pending applications.
“While this committee began looking into the issue of energy exports long before the crisis in Ukraine, we can now use this legislation as a foreign policy success story, and an economic success story – one which would provide jobs and growth here at home,” Gardner said.
Gardner said the argument from opponents of the bill that increasing LNG exports would drive up prices domestically is incorrect.
“…Studies by the Department of Energy have concluded that America has ample spare capacity in natural gas, and these studies have shown that that impact will simply not materialize,” Gardner said. “I know that in my home state of Colorado we stand ready to increase production.
Congress must act to address the backlog of LNG export applications and take steps so that construction on LNG export facilities can move forward, Gardner said.