THE EFFICIENCY BENEFITS OF BIPARTISANSHIP

Bipartisan Efforts in 2005 Energy Bill Led to Significant Energy Efficiency Gains; Analysis of 2005 Energy Policy Act Shows Markets Transformed and Doors Opened to Further Legislation
March 16, 2011 (American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy)

"Energy efficiency provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 [passed during Republican poltical domination through bipartisan cooperation] were largely successful in expanding markets for money-saving energy-efficient products, and in creating opportunities for continued bipartisan political action on energy efficiency in later legislation...

"...These are the results of…[Assessing the Harvest: Implementation of the Energy Efficiency Provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005] by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The report documents current knowledge about the implementation of the energy efficiency provisions in this legislation."

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"The Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed by President George W. Bush in August of that year, included manufacturer and consumer tax incentives for energy-saving technologies, minimum efficiency standards for appliances and equipment, and a variety of other provisions to encourage energy savings. It was the first major energy legislation since 1992, and began a period of bold energy efficiency legislation from 2005 to 2010…"

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"The report also looks at lessons learned from implementation of the 2005 bill. The most successful energy efficiency provisions had good timing, stakeholder engagement and education, and appropriate levels of funding. Other provisions, especially those with limited or nonexistent funding or where a loophole was built into the law did not fare as well…

"Overall, ACEEE estimates that in 2020, the bill will still be saving enough energy to power the state of Tennessee for a year at current energy use levels. These findings are close to ACEEE's original estimate in 2005, showing that for the most part, implementation of the provisions over the past five years has gone well."