On April 30, Senators Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation titled S. 1245 the All-of-the-Above Federal Building Energy Conservation Act of 2019. This bill is similar to legislation introduced in the House and Senate last Congress which, among other things, repeals Section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. Section 433 of EISA eliminates all fossil fuel-generated energy from federal buildings by the year 2030. This ban would apply to all new or renovated federal buildings. This legislation would help the federal government improve energy efficiency, while providing flexibility in using efficient fuels, like natural gas, that would otherwise be phased out while enhancing federal building energy efficiency standards. This legislation replaces section 433 with fuel-neutral energy efficiency provisions that would achieve real energy efficiency gains in federal buildings. The bill would provide federal facility managers with flexibility to choose a cost-effective energy mix when working to achieve energy efficiency goals so they can reduce energy consumption and cut down on costs which in turn saves taxpayer dollars.
APGA worked closely with the bill’s sponsors and other stakeholder on this legislation. Senators Hoeven and Manchin released a joint press release that referenced APGA’s support and included a statement from Bert Kalisch, APGA’s President & CEO, in which he communicated “APGA is pleased to support the All-of-the-Above Federal Building Energy Conservation Act of 2019. This legislation would bring about a much needed reform to federal energy policy while saving significant taxpayer dollars. Passage of this legislation will allow the continued direct use of natural gas, combined heat and power, and other high efficiency technologies in federal buildings. This will provide federal building managers with the flexibility they need to improve efficiency while reducing the taxpayer dollars spent on energy costs.”
APGA anticipates that similar legislation will be introduced in the House. In addition to APGA, this legislation is supported by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, American Gas Association, Alliance to Save Energy, American Public Power Association, and Edison Electric Institute. For questions on this article, please contact Dave Schryver of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
dschryver@apga.org.