Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, plans to move forward on a bipartisan energy bill as early as this week. The Home Star efficiency rebate legislation will be brought up for consideration as part of this comprehensive energy bill.
The water efficiency rebate provisions, first sponsored by Senator Wyden, D-OR, and Senator Mark Udall, D-CO, and supported by Senator Bingaman, D-NM, are now part of the Silver Star and the Gold Star sections of the Home Star bill. If time permits, an updated version of the Home Star draft may become available. AWE will immediately post the latest version of the bill.
Passage of this bill would, for the first time, prominently place in legislation water efficiency incentives side-by-side with energy efficiency incentives and provide an important funding mechanism for water conservation efforts nationwide. Letters to your Senators supporting this measure are urgently needed.
Current water efficiency provisions in the Home Star bill include:
Silver Star Section
- Homeowners that purchase at least $300 in WaterSense products can receive a $150 rebate
- Eligible products include showerheads, toilets, faucets, and outdoor irrigation systems
Gold Star Section
- Homeowners receive a $500 rebate for a 20% reduction in potable water use
- DOE develops a methodology to measure whole-home water savings within 6 months
Financing
- Grants to states and municipalities can also be used towards local water programs
Authorization of Funds
- $100 million funds added to cover water conservation – total authorization now $5.1 billion
- No cap on the amount of money that goes to WaterSense rebates
- $70 million carve out for water conservation program in Gold Star
The Alliance urges members to contact their Senators TODAY to recommend their support of the Home Star language containing WaterSense incentives as part of the Senate Energy Bill.
Please check AWE’s web page for update information on this and other legislative issues.
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