FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 2, 2003 2:54 PM

Coalition Urges EPA to Expand Sustainable Energy Initiatives

WASHINGTON - December 2 - In a letter delivered today to the office of Mike Leavitt, newly-installed Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, twenty-five member groups of the Sustainable Energy Coalition called upon him to greatly expand the agency's sustainable energy programs.

"Since most of our environmental problems are caused by our energy use, the role played by the EPA in aggressively reducing pollution in every sector is critical," according to the signers. "[Consequently,] a number of [EPA's] energy-related initiatives ... should not only be continued but strengthened and expanded."

Notably, the letter urged that the EPA seek to establish its Energy Star program as a separate line-item within the EPA budget and "propose annual funding increases of 10% beginning in 2005 and continuing through 2008."

It also encourages the EPA "to actively implement the Combined Heat and Power Partnership" while recommending that "the Smart Travel Resource Center and the annual publication of the Fuel Economy Guide data for new automobiles ... likewise be continued but supplemented by new efforts to substantially curb transportation fuel use."

The letter's signers called upon EPA "to examine new opportunities through which EPA can promote the cross-section of RENEWABLE ENERGY technologies in addition to its current Renewable Energy Modeling Series and the Green Power Partnership [such as] using renewable energy in all EPA facilities, employing BIOMASS-based phytoremediation technologies for waste clean-up, and clearing the way for 22% ETHANOL automotive blends to help address evaporative emissions concerns."

Finally, the groups urged Administrator Leavitt to "take the lead in designing and helping to implement a more ambitious goal for the administration's carbon intensity policy, which, in its current configuration, will likely allow actual emissions to increase by 14 percent over the next decade."

The full text of the letter and the list of signers follows below.

 

The Sustainable Energy Coalition is a coalition of 65 national and state-level business, environmental, consumer, and energy policy organizations which collectively represent several thousand companies, municipal utilities, and community organizations. Founded in 1992, the coalition works to promote increased use of energy efficient and renewable energy techologies.

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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION

1612 "K" Street, N.W.

Suite #202-A

Washington, DC 20006

202-293-2898, ext.201; fax: 202-293-5857 http://www.sustainableenergy.org

December 2, 2003

Mike Leavitt, Administrator

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20460

Dear Administrator Leavitt:

We the undersigned business, consumer, environmental, and energy policy organizations are writing to urge that you actively support and promote ENERGY EFFICIENCY and renewable energy technologies as solutions to the nation's myriad environmental, public health, and energy import problems.

While primary leadership on energy policy issues rests with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) either cooperates on, or has assumed a leadership role for, a number of energy-related initiatives that we believe should not only be continued but strengthened and expanded. Moreover, since most of our environmental problems are caused by our energy use, the role played by the EPA in aggressively reducing pollution in every sector is critical.

Perhaps foremost among these is EPA's Energy Star program, which helps businesses and individuals reduce pollution and energy costs through the purchase of energy-efficient appliances, air conditioners, heating systems, refrigerators, computers, and other items as well as encourages the construction of energy-efficient homes and offices.

According to the government's own figures, last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star (including the Ag Star program), saved enough energy to power 10 million homes and avoid GREENHOUSE GAS emissions from 12 million cars - all while saving $6 billion.

Unfortunately, this program has recently been a target for funding cuts. We consequently urge you to demonstrate your strong commitment to protecting and enhancing this program. Specifically, we recommend that the EPA seek to establish this program as a separate line-item within the EPA budget and propose annual funding increases of 10% beginning in 2005 and continuing through 2008.

Likewise, we urge you to actively implement the Combined Heat and Power Partnership, which works with industry, state and local governments, universities, and other institutional users to facilitate the development of efficient combined heat and power projects and has set a goal of doubling national CHP CAPACITY by 2010.

Other programs that promote improved fuel efficiency, such as the Smart Travel Resource Center and the annual publication of the Fuel Economy Guide data for new automobiles, should likewise be continued but supplemented by new efforts to substantially curb transportation fuel use, including a review of EPA's CAFE testing procedures.

Along the same lines, we encourage you to examine new opportunities through which EPA can promote the cross-section of renewable energy technologies in addition to its current Renewable Energy Modeling Series and the Green Power Partnership. The latter enlists commercial, nonprofit, and public organizations to purchase a portion of their power as renewable energy, thereby reducing the emissions associated with power generation.

Additional initiatives might include using renewable energy in all EPA facilities, employing biomass-based phytoremediation technologies for waste clean-up, and clearing the way for 22% ethanol automotive blends to help address evaporative emissions concerns.

However, a far more ambitious and absolutely necessary priority for the EPA is that of Climate Change caused in large part by emissions of CARBON DIOXIDE. We therefore recommend that you take the lead in designing and helping to implement a more ambitious goal for the administration's carbon intensity policy, which, in its current configuration, will likely allow actual emissions to increase by 14 percent over the next decade.

Finally, we urge you to reach out to the sustainable energy, environmental, and public health communities to solicit ideas on how to use energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to meet the agency's goals.

We appreciate your taking these views into consideration and would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss them in further detail.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Affordable Energy
Alliance to Save Energy
American Bioenergy Association
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
American SOLAR ENERGY Society
American WIND Energy Association
Bob Lawrence & Associates
Breakthrough Technologies, Inc.
Cascade Associates
Colorado Energy Group, Inc.
Environmental & Energy Study Institute
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Good Company Associates
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
National Environmental Trust
New Alternatives Fund Inc.
New Uses Council
Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Pellet Fuels Institute
SOLAR Energy Industries Association
Strategic Clean Energy, LLC
The Stella Group Ltd.
Union of Concerned Scientists
U.S. Combined Heat and Power Association
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

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