Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations passed a bill out of committee that included funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program. Though questions remain about the future of the program, this is good news for the commercial real estate industry, which relies on ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager to benchmark building energy, waste and water.
This spring, the White House proposed cutting the program entirely, which prompted BOMA International and other industry groups to move quickly to advocate for its protection. BOMA’s advocacy staff met with senior staffers on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and sent a call to action alert asking BOMA members to weigh in with their support of ENERGY STAR. The inclusion of the program in the committee’s bill is a sign that these efforts are having an impact.
This is the first step in a long appropriations process, and BOMA International staff will continue to lobby Congress to support ENERGY STAR. In the meantime, it's not too late to write your members of Congress and tell them to support ENERGY STAR. To do so, please visit the BOMA Grassroots Action Center.
This Quick Read was submitted by Ryan Berlin, managing editor of Facility Maintenance Decisions, ryan.berlin@tradepressmedia.com. Read more about standing up for Energy Star and benchmarking Energy Star efforts
