On February 27, The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and nearly 1,000 businesses from across the country urged Congress to reject efforts to repeal the law setting goals for reducing fossil fuel use in federal buildings by 2030.
The letter comes in response to reports that the oil and gas lobby pushed to include a repeal of Section 433 of the Energy Independence and Security Act in the bipartisan Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill.
“It is unfortunate that the fossil fuel industry has demanded gutting federal energy laws through in the Shaheen-Portman bill,” said AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. “Sens. Shaheen and Portman have spent more than two years crafting a bipartisan energy efficiency bill. We support the original bill, which has many admirable provisions, but cannot in good conscience support legislation that undermines laws that help the federal government save taxpayers money by conserving energy.”
Last year, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the otherwise bipartisan Shaheen-Portman bill that encourages families, businesses and the government to save energy. It is not clear whether the revised bill can move forward in its current form.
“We remain committed to finding consensus solutions to improve Section 433,” Ivy said. “But so long as its opponents demand a full repeal, we do not believe the bill serves the interests of the American public.”
The letter states that design and construction companies across the country are already designing buildings that meet, and in some cases exceed, the current targets in Section 433. “In fact, Section 433 has enabled design firms to develop new design strategies that they are now using to help private-sector clients reduce their energy loads,” the letter states.
A full text of the letter can be found here. A “Myth vs. Fact” document about Section 433 of EISA can be found here.
Related Stories
| May 29, 2012
Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s pediatric burn patients create their version of new Patient Tower using Legos
McCarthy workers joined the patients, donning construction gear and hard hats, to help with their building efforts.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 29, 2012
AIA expands Documents-On-Demand service??
Six new documents added, DOD offers nearly 100 contract documents.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| May 16, 2012
AIA issues guide to IGCC
Getting the IgCC adopted in all 50 states and in jurisdictions across the country is the primary mission of the ICC, which published the code in March.
| May 14, 2012
ArchiCAD e-Specs integration unveiled
Architects, engineers and construction professionals use InterSpec’s e-SPECS products on thousands of projects annually to maintain synchronization between construction models, drawings, and project specifications.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 9, 2012
International green building speaker to keynote Australia’s largest building systems trade show
Green building, sustainability consultant, green building book author Jerry Yudelson will be the keynote speaker at the Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration and Building Systems (ARBS) conference in Melbourne, Australia.
| May 9, 2012
Shepley Bulfinch given IIDA Design award for Woodruff Library?
The design challenges included creating an entry sequence to orient patrons and highlight services; establishing a sense of identity visible from the exterior; and providing a flexible extended-hours access for part of the learning commons.
| May 8, 2012
Gensler & J.C. Anderson team for pro bono high school project in Chicago
City Year representatives came to Gensler for their assistance in the transformation of the organization’s offices within Orr Academy High School, which also serve as an academic and social gathering space for students and corps members.