Letter
Letter to Senate on Energy Efficiency, June 24, 2013
Letter from Bishop Stephen Blaire to Senate Subcommittee on Energy on energy efficiency and the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act, June 24, 2013
"On behalf of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to express our support of The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act (S. 717) to be heard before the Energy Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on Tuesday, June 25, 2013.
Introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Hoeven (R-ND), the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act will establish a pilot program at the U.S. Department of Energy to provide financial grants to non-profit organizations to help make the buildings they own and operate more energy efficient. Under the proposal, $50 million would be authorized for Fiscal Years 2014-2017 with non-profits eligible to apply for grants up to 50% of the total cost of the energy efficiency program—up to $200,000 per project.
The breadth of the Catholic Church’s institutions includes thousands of schools, parishes, hospitals and other organizations that serve people and communities in need. Our institutions would benefit greatly from this important pilot program meant to assist non-profits to become more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible."