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Mansfield News Journal
Portman pushes bill to cut pollution, energy costs
By Deirdre Shesgreen
Jul. 26, 2013

WASHINGTON — The Senate is poised to debate a major energy bill next week crafted by Sen. Rob Portman, which proponents say would cut pollution, slash electricity bills and save money for consumers and companies alike. 

The legislation, which Portman, R-Ohio, authored with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., would create new incentives to spur greater use of energy-saving tools and technologies in office buildings, manufacturing plants and personal residences. 

The measure enjoys strong bipartisan support, but some fear it could be derailed by a bevy of contentious amendments on everything from approving the Keystone XL pipeline to curbing the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

“Ohio will benefit directly” from the legislation, Portman said, because it aims to reduce energy consumption by manufacturers and other industrial businesses that dominate the Buckeye State’s economy. 

More than 200 outside interest groups — from the Chamber of Commerce to the Natural Resources Defense Council — back the proposal. 

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimated an earlier version of the Portman-Shaheen bill would save consumers $20 billion, create 159,000 new jobs and avert 108 million metric tons of carbon pollution through 2030. 

The Portman-Shaheen proposal would: 

• Strengthen model building codes to make new homes and commercial buildings more energy-efficient and require the Department of Energy to provide funding and other assistance to help states meet energy-savings targets; 

• Create a new energy efficiency financing initiative that provides grants to states to promote private sector investment in energy-saving upgrades and renovations; 

• Encourage businesses to create more efficient supply chains that conserve energy, water and other resources... 

Read the rest of the article at the Mansfield News Journal


 
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