By Debra DeHaney-Howard
July 2, 2012

Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis directed members of the Conference of Mayors Energy Policy Standing Committee through several policy debates on energy issues ranging from 1) calling for a federal renewable energy portfolio standard; 2) to fully funding the energy efficiency block grant; and 3) to addressing the urgency of climate change.

The Energy Standing Committee, on which Bemis serves as Vice Chair, met in Orlando on June 14 to review financing options and challenges for energy efficient projects and to consider fifteen proposed resolutions on various policy matters, including supporting the deployment of electric vehicles, developing financial solutions for energy efficiency retrofits, and promoting the use of energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) street lighting. Committee members recommended fifteen resolutions that were subsequently adopted by the Conference of Mayors membership at the June 16 Annual Business Meeting.

Following debate on the proposed policy resolutions, members heard from U.S. Department of Energy Senior Advisor Richard Kaufman, and Electrification Coalition and Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) President and CEO Robbie Diamond.

Kaufman discussed the economics of renewable energy and energy technology. "We have tended to fund Research & Development projects — but have not adequately sponsored market development. We keep waiting for breakthrough technology that will achieve cost parity with conventional sources of energy, which is a tall order in an industry where scale of production matters," said Kaufman. "Without financial mechanisms to encourage creation of a domestic market, there's no domestic demand for developing these products in the United States. And this means, we're not just missing out on our domestic potential, but we're losing out on a global scale," added Kaufman.

Diamond briefed panel members on the need to reduce the United States oil dependence through the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale. "This is a potentially transformational development that will build out the infrastructure to support the deployment of electric vehicles. "Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a key component to help the U.S. move away from its oil dependence. Electrification is critical to improve the nation's energy security because it can break oil's stranglehold on the transportation sector," said Diamond.

Following the presentations, members questioned the energy experts on a number of issues regarding energy technology, energy infrastructure, and financial options for retrofitting municipal and commercial buildings.

• Supporting full and dedicated funding of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants

• Supporting Electric Vehicles

• Calling on Congress and the Administration to Support Residential/Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Programs

• Support for the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative and Efforts to Expand the Nation's Stock of Affordable Green, Healthy, and Sustainable Housing

• Resolution to Promote the Greening of the Retail Community

• Calling on Congress and the Administration to Provide Funding for the EPA Climate Showcase Grants for Local Governments

• In Support of the Better Building Initiative

• Calling on Congress to Establish a National Clean Energy Standard

• Calling on Congress to Support Emerging Energy Technologies by "Greening" the Tax Code

• Supporting a Federal Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and Extending the Renewable Electricity Production and Investment Tax Credits

• Resolution to Promote the Use of Energy Efficient Solid'state LED Street Lighting

• Urgency to Address Climate Protection

• Require that the U.S. Department of Energy Focus on the Treatment and Storage of Radioactive Waste On'site where Appropriate to Mitigate Health and Environmental Risks of Transporting Low, High and Mixed Level Waste to Offsite Treatment Facilities

• Calls on Congress to Enact Comprehensive Energy Efficiency Legislation

• Supporting Efforts to Educate Consumers about their Energy Usage