Neal Dunn: “I am very happy that the bill we are debating today promotes energy conservation and efficiency. These elements are…”

“I am very happy that the bill we are debating today promotes energy conservation and efficiency. These elements are critical, especially in my home State of Washington, where many continue to suffer from the high cost of utility bills. In times of energy supply shortages that result in retail rate increases, it is the role of the Government to empower families and businesses around America with the information that they need to make choices regarding their power usage. As public servants, we can encourage efficiency by providing incentives for the use of 'smart meters,' in this case for the use of smart meters installed at the cost to the company in many homes throughout my district. These are high-tech devices that tell consumers what time of day is most cost effective to flip on the switch to run their washers, their dryers, their sprinkler systems. Smart meters serve as evidence that conservation does not need to be dictated by the Federal Government, but rather can be learned, and with the right motivation and structure, conservation can work. I want to thank the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), for including the smart meter provision I offered as part of this comprehensive bill and urge its passage.”