Washington, DC – Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, today applauded House passage of the Rural Energy Savings Program Act, a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Bennet that promotes energy efficiency and creates jobs in rural communities.
The bill, which will spur new investments in energy efficiency by providing rural electric cooperative customers access to low-interest loans through the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, passed the House 240-172.
“This common sense bill is a rare win-win-win during these tough economic times,” said Bennet. “It will help rural Colorado by lowering electric costs for families and small businesses, create jobs here at home and help the environment. Unfortunately, the Senate continues to get mired in political games and has yet again failed to move forward on a bill that would help ease the burden of energy costs for people struggling to make ends meet.”
In June, Bennet used his first hearing as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology to hear testimony on this bill. Kent Singer, executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association (CREA), testified in support of the bill.