Issue Position: Green Office Initiative
Issue Position
As part of an ongoing collaboration between public policy, research institutions and the business community to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, I launched my Green Office Initiative. As a member of Congress, I must lead by example and not just talk about renewable energy. This initiative is good for national security, good for jobs and good for the climate. To fully wean ourselves from foreign oil and promote energy independence we must take action.
Working Green: The building in which our 7th Congressional District Office is located is LEED-EB Certified (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design-Existing Building) and has a 30kw photovoltaic (PV) on the roof to provide a portion of the building's energy needs. To view the solar energy currently being produced by the photovoltaic panels on the roof of my District Office click here.
Promoting Green: As chair of the Energy Efficiency Task Force (in the 110th & 111th Congress) in the House Financial Services Committee, I sponsored H.R. 2336 - the GREEN Act and support ideas in Congress to promote energy efficiency. The Task Force met with groups and individuals to formulate ways to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in the financial services community.
Additionally, in the 112th Congress I was named Chair of the Energy Task Force of the New Democrat Coalition. The goal of this Task Force was to harness American ingenuity to create jobs and promote energy independence. Throughout this Congress I set up a series of briefings and meetings on a variety of traditional and renewable energy sources to educate my colleagues so we can develop policies to create jobs and wean our nation from foreign oil. Since taking office in 2007, along with members of the Colorado Congressional Delegation and House leadership, I helped secure an increase in funding to the Department of Energy for programs that fund NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) in Golden. This is the flagship renewable energy research facility in the country and is located in the 7th Congressional District. Due to these funding increases they have hired hundreds of new employees and are increasing and improving their research facilities and infrastructure.
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