The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THERMAL INSULATION EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H5606-H5607 on June 23, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THERMAL INSULATION EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT ACT
Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4801) to require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use for potable hot water.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4801
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REPORT ON ENERGY AND WATER SAVINGS POTENTIAL FROM
THERMAL INSULATION.
(a) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and relevant stakeholders, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use systems for potable hot and chilled water in Federal buildings, and the return on investment of installing such insulation.
(b) Contents.--The report shall include--
(1) an analysis based on the cost of municipal or regional water for delivered water and the avoided cost of new water; and
(2) a summary of energy and water savings, including short term and long term (20 years) projections of such savings.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the Speaker for the time today to discuss H.R. 4801, the Thermal Insulation Efficiency Improvement Act.
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Today, millions of gallons of water and energy are wasted due to heating losses that could be prevented through the increased use of thermal insulation. The purpose of this legislation is to help identify opportunities in which we can maximize energy and water efficiency through the minimization of waste in our Federal facilities.
With the Federal Government being the single-largest consumer of energy in the country, the potential savings from the increased use of thermal insulation has the potential to be very significant in the amount of resources, both natural and financial, that can be saved.
For example, we have seen what the benefits of mechanical insulation maintenance in commercial buildings can be, with savings potentially topping $4.8 billion annually. That is enough energy savings to light nearly 4 million homes per year.
Up to this point, there have only been small-scale studies conducted to show the benefits such insulation can have on water and energy resources that are otherwise being wasted. The potential increase in energy efficiency is tremendous, as has been shown through the use of mechanical insulation, but this has not yet been demonstrated on a large scale.
That is why I introduced H.R. 4801 with Congressman McNerney. This legislation takes a step in the right direction in demonstrating the benefits of thermal insulation not only to the private sector, but to show the Federal Government how it can increase energy efficiency and cost savings by applying these techniques in our Federal facilities. The bill does this by simply having the Department of Energy compile a study on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and hot and cold water systems in Federal buildings.
I believe the addition of thermal insulation to the proper systems in our Federal facilities is both a relatively simple yet cost-effective way to reduce heat gains and losses that result in money simply going up in thin air. Estimates also show that thermal insulation saves up to 500 times more energy over its lifespan than its cost, which translates into fairly generous returns on energy efficiency. Simply put, thermal insulation saves energy, water, and money.
Once again, I urge passage of this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill sponsored by Mr. Kinzinger and Mr. McNerney.
The bill is straightforward. It simply tasks the Department of Energy with preparing a report on the impacts of using thermal insulation in Federal buildings.
Insulating ducts and pipes can prevent a significant amount of energy from being wasted. That saves taxpayers money and it reduces pollution. This bill would ensure that the Department of Energy quantifies those potential savings so that the Federal Government can make commonsense energy efficiency investments.
The bill has broad stakeholder support and was reported by voice vote in the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Again, I congratulate my colleagues for their collaboration on this bill, and I urge my colleagues in the full House to support it.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KINZINGER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to thank Congressman McNerney for working with me diligently on this. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I urge passage of the bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4801.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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