Jeff Bingaman: “the amendment Senator Murkowski and I have offered strikes section 630 of the bill. If enacted, section 630 would…”

“the amendment Senator Murkowski and I have offered strikes section 630 of the bill. If enacted, section 630 would foreclose all Federal agencies from taking advantage of energy conservation programs offered by their local utility company. I believe section 630 would needlessly restrict an option that helps the Federal Government, the Nation's largest energy user, implement cost-effective energy-savings programs at Federal facilities. Mr. President, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 set a goal of reducing by 20 percent the average energy consumed by the Federal Government. Federal facilities were given various approaches for reducing energy consumption. For example, an agency can sign an energy savings performance contract with an energy service company, or it can work with the local utility company to take advantage of utility-sponsored energy conservation measures. Under current law, Federal agencies may select the option that is best for their situation. It is important to have this flexibility because working with the private sector to reduce a facility's energy use is not an ordinary procurement. Purchasing energy efficiency isn't like buying paper clips or furniture. The Federal Energy Management Program has made substantial progress in streamlining the contracting process for energy management services at Federal facilities.”