SEEC hosts breakfast round table with the Alliance to Save Energy

Today the co-chairs of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) hosted a breakfast round-table with industry leaders from the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), focused on a discussion of enacting strong U.S. climate and energy policies to address the challenges faced by our nation in the twenty first century.

SEEC co-chairs Reps. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) were joined by SEEC members Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.); Peter Welch (D-Vt.); Jim Langevin (D-R.I.); and Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), as well as Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). Participating executives from the Alliance to Save Energy included Kateri Callahan, President of ASE; Jim Rogers, President and CEO of Duke Energy; John Fielder, President of Southern California Edison; Neal Verfuerth, President and CEO of Orion Energy Systems; and Robert W. Wilkins, U.S. President of Danfoss.

In this meeting, executives and legislators spoke on the need for the United States to enact policies to curb U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and invest in domestic clean energy production and energy efficiency, and the steps to be taken to acheive that goal. In June, the House of Representatives passed the ‘American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009,' and all eyes have turned to the Senate in the hopes that the upper chamber can pass consistent legislation to be signed into law by President Obama prior to December’s international climate negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The group also spoke about future legislative action to promote energy efficiency, a main policy focus of both the congressional caucus and the non-profit coalition. Earlier this week, SEEC members joined other House lawmakers in sending a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, urging the federal government to reduce its energy consumption- and save taxpayer dollars- through increases in the energy efficiency of federal buildings.