Citizens First Congress Applauds Introduction of Energy Efficiency Package

Little Rock – Today the Citizens First Congress praised legislators for introducing the Energy Efficiency Package of Legislation.

“These bills, along with those we expect in the coming weeks, will save consumers money, create jobs in Arkansas and take our state in the right direction toward energy independence,” said Don Richardson of the Arkansas Climate Awareness Project.

The Energy Efficiency Package includes bills that will increase energy efficiency in public buildings by creating timetables for assessing and retrofitting buildings to improve their efficiency, require the PSC to scale up existing programs to help make homes and businesses more energy efficient and remove funding barriers so government facilities and schools can use energy savings to retrofit their buildings.

“These bills represent the consensus common sense recommendations that came from the Governor's Commission on Global Warming,” said Rep. Kathy Webb (DLittle Rock), who chaired the commission. “We continue to work on more bills to add to this group and look forward to introducing legislation on renewable energy and weatherization soon.”

Supporters of the measures said the current economic climate made now the right time to implement these kinds of cost saving measures.

“It's past time to take these steps,” said Rep. Joan Cash (D-Jonesboro) “We can no longer afford the cost of not being energy efficient.”

Arkansas Public Policy Panel is a statewide organization dedicated to achieving social and economic justice by organizing citizen groups around the state, educating and supporting them to be more effective and powerful, and linking them with one another in coalitions and networks. The Panel works with its sister organization, the Citizens First Congress, to bring balance to the public policy process in Arkansas.