(Washington, DC) - Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 1716, the Green Energy Education Act. As the lead Democratic sponsor of this bill, I am pleased that it has moved so quickly through committee. I believe its rapid movement onto the floor of the House for a vote is indicative of the bill’s importance and timely subject matter.  H.R. 1716 promotes the design and construction of energy efficient buildings by authorizing the Department of Energy to partner
with the National Science Foundation (NSF) in support of multidisciplinary graduate education
and curriculum development activities that will enhance the DOE’s broad energy technology
development mission. By working with the NSF, DOE will help develop the next generation
of engineers and architects to work effectively together to produce buildings and incorporating
the latest in energy efficient technologies.  Buildings in the U.S. consume a disproportionate
share of our energy and electricity. We must do something to make our buildings more energy efficient and friendly to the environment.  In fact, buildings in the U.S. consume more energy than any other sector of the country, including industry and transportation.  According to 2003 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) statistics, U.S. buildings consume 39 percent of our nation’s primary energy and 70 percent of electricity.  We need to do everything we can to address the harmful things we are doing to the environment. This bill is a step in that direction— making buildings more energy efficient and less stressful on our energy and electrical supplies. And, it will save businesses considerable sums of money in the long run.  I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important bill and take a step forward in easing our dependence on foreign and harmful energy sources.