Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, expressed her support of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that passed the Senate tonight by a vote of 86-8.
Senator Boxer said: “While it should have been a better and stronger bill with tax breaks for renewable energy and a requirement for electric utilities to use more solar, wind and geothermal energy, it is still a good first step toward a cleaner future for America."
Senator Boxer outlined four provisions included in the energy bill that came out of the Environment and Public Works Committee:
· The green buildings provision for the construction of “green" government buildings. This provision would also provide grants to states for green schools programs;
· The provision to retrofit old federal buildings with energy-efficient technologies such as better lighting. This provision would also provide grants to cities and counties to make buildings more energy-efficient;
· The provision to establish a demonstration project at the Capitol Hill Power Plant to capture greenhouse gases from burning coal;
· And the provision authorizing construction of a “solar wall" on the roof of the Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, DC.
Senator Boxer said: “As a Senator from California, whose state has been such a leader on energy efficiency, I am pleased to see the federal government finally taking these steps, especially in the face of soaring energy costs and the threat of global warming."
