Washington, D.C. — Language supported by IAPMO and prioritized by the High-Performance Buildings Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC) has been included in a comprehensive bill formally introduced in the U.S. Senate this week by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The larger Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 (EPMA) now includes the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2015 (NEWS Act), provisions championed by IAPMO and the HPBCCC, which is chaired by IAPMO’s Vice President of Governmental Relations Dain Hansen.
“After three long days of markups by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, it is great to see the NEWS Act included in the base bill, with strong bipartisan support,” Hansen said. “Having this critical bill be included by the chair of the committee bodes well the legislation’s prospects. With the House moving forward with serious energy legislation and now the Senate following suit, it clearly shows these efforts rise above political posturing with the purpose of enacting sound policy.”
Section 4101 of Sen. Murkowski’s EPMA (http://www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings-and-business-meetings?ID=17a3a637-d168-43ab-a293-5667f0da3715) includes The NEWS Act, which would establish an Interagency Coordination Committee, co-chaired by the secretaries of Energy and Interior, to identify all relevant energy-water nexus activities across the federal government; enhance the coordination of research and development activities among agencies; gather and disseminate data to enable better practices; explore relevant public-private collaboration; and develop a research and development plan for energy-water nexus related programs. It would further establish the Nexus of Energy and Water Sustainability (NEWS) office to provide leadership and administrative support functions for the Interagency Coordination Committee.
The HPBCCC is a private-sector coalition of approximately 200 organizations providing guidance and support to U.S. Congress on national policies. The Coalition works with the Congressional Caucus to promote and showcase best practices in building design and focus on issues reflecting all aspects of high-performance buildings.
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