U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and U.S. Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said recently that they are introducing identical bills in the Senate and House to encourage and expand private investment in energy-efficiency upgrades in federal buildings.
The legislators said Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) are valuable partnerships under which private companies pay to make
energy-efficiency upgrades to federal buildings. In exchange, those companies receive a portion of the money
saved as a result of the increased efficiency in federal buildings. The contracts also create private-sector jobs at little cost to taxpayers.
Gardner said the federal government is the largest energy consumer in the country and that using ESPCs and UESCs is a common-sense solution both parties can support.
“I’ve worked on this issue going back to my time in the House of Representatives, and I made it one of the tenets of my Four Corners Plan for Colorado when I ran for Senate,” Gardner said. “I’m proud to join with my colleagues today and continue leading this effort.”