By NEMA is the leading trade association in the United States representing the interests of electroindustry manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its 400 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, tr
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 We re gratified that this important legislation is moving toward passage, says NEMA President Malcolm O Hagan. Electric efficiency was last addressed by Congress in 1992 and electric infrastructure was last addressed in 1978. In the last decade, we have witnessed considerable progress in the development of energy efficient technologies; legislation has not kept pace.  Since 1978, the entire nature of the electric power business has changed. It s high time for this legislation.
In recent weeks, the national news media has focused on a few politically controversial issues, such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the automobile Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard, and, in some cases, have inferred, since neither one passed in the Senate energy bill, that there is nothing notable remaining in the legislation. That is unfortunate, says O Hagan. The conference committee has a very important task before it. What the conferees decide will help shape our nation over the next decade.
Both the House and Senate bills are now referred to as H. R. 4., after the House bill passed last August, but significant differences need to be worked out in conference. The original H.R. 4, for instance, had no electricity infrastructure provisions. While NEMA was influential in the crafting of both the House and Senate versions, the association would choose certain provisions over others in the hybrid. NEMA favors, for instance, most of the Senate s electrical efficiency provisions because they include explicit NEMA language covering such products as transformers and exit signs. NEMA supports House provisions, however, for national standards for interconnection and metering, as well as for transmission siting and funding originally included in draft bill H. R. 3406. That bill was developed by the House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee at the end of 2001, but was never brought to the House floor for a vote.
NEMA also supports provisions for tax incentives for advanced meters and tax deductions for efficient commercial buildings.
During the last few hours of Senate debate in late April, Senators produced a flurry of new tax and energy policy amendments; many are important to NEMA members, including those that would:
O Hagan says, We ll continue to work to with members of both chambers to ensure that the bill that goes to the President s desk for signature retains the best features in the House and Senate bills and sets enlightened energy policy. The bottom line is that the nation needs an energy bill. Energy efficiency improvements and enhanced electric infrastructure are vital to our economic prosperity. It s time to pass comprehensive energy legislation.
