By Judy Sheahan
July 30, 2007

Despite a crowded legislative agenda, the U. S. House of Representatives plans to consider a major energy bill containing the Conference of Mayors’ top priority – the Energy Efficiency Block Grant – before the August 3 recess. Conference of Mayors President Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer has called on the nation’s mayors to contact their representatives and voice their support for the energy efficiency block grant, which would authorize $10 billion over five years to cities, counties, and states to implement energy efficiency programs in communities.

A number of controversial issues have delayed the bill, including efforts to include an increase in corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards. There are two major issues surrounding CAFÉ standards, including whether CAFÉ should be incorporated in this bill or postponed until fall when Congress takes up climate change legislation. The second issue is how stringent such standards should be.

Currently, there are two proposals for changing the CAFÉ standards. Representative Ed Markey (MA) is recommending a CAFÉ standard of 35 miles per gallon for light trucks and passenger cars by 2018, which is similar to the levels proposed in the Senate energy legislation that passed last month. The other proposal is a bipartisan effort led by Representatives Baron Hill (IN) and Lee Terry (NE) that is supported by the auto industry. Their proposal is to “keep separate standards for passenger cars and light trucks but require that the average standard for the overall vehicle fleet be no less than 32 miles per gallon and no greater than 35 miles per gallon by 2022.” The energy bill is likely to move once these negotiations have been completed.

The Energy Efficiency Block Grant, which is included in the Energy Bill, is part of the Conference of Mayors’ 10-Point Plan: Strong Cities, Strong Families, for a Strong America. The block grant, which would be administered by the Department of Energy, is modeled after the Community Development Block Grant program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program would provide communities with annual funding allocations to implement energy efficiency strategies. Eligible activities include: conducting energy audits and weatherization programs; creating financial incentive programs for energy efficiency retrofits; developing and implementing of building and home energy conservation programs; developing and implementing of building codes and inspection services for public, commercial, industrial, and residential buildings to promote energy efficiency; and developing and promoting land use guidelines that result in energy efficiency.

For more information about the bill, see our website at usmayors.org.