LEEP into Action: Call Now for Energy Efficiency in WV

Here’s an update from EEWV, Energy Efficient West Virginia. OVEC staffer Natalie Thompson is our project coordinator with EEWV. 

The LEEP (Local Energy Efficiency Partnership) Act (SB 370) is under consideration by the WV Senate’s Energy, Industry, and Mining Committee

The LEEP Act was identified as the top legislative priority in a recent meeting of energy efficiency businesses, advocates, and interested parties. If you’re not familiar, LEEP is a funding mechanism that empowers commercial building owners to make their buildings more efficient and pay for the upgrades on their tax ticket. The upgrades are funded by privately held bonds that are backed by the energy savings.

The Senate’s Energy, Industry, and Mining Committee will consider the bill today, Thursday at 1 p.m. We need your help to contact the committee and voice your support of the bill. Tell them you support the LEEP Act, SB 370. Some points to include:

* The LEEP Act can help broaden West Virginia’s economic base by making it easy for businesses to hire construction contractors to make cost-effective upgrades to their buildings.
* Creating Local Energy Efficiency Partnerships is completely voluntary for local governments to adopt under the Act, so if it isn’t right for some communities, it will not be adopted.
* Improving buildings and cutting utility costs helps businesses stay in West Virginia and keep jobs in the state.

Here are the email addresses of the committee members:
greg.boso@wvsenate.gov; craig@craigblair.com; donnaboley@suddenlink.net; douglas.facemire@wvsenate.gov; ed.gaunch@wvsenate.gov; art.kirkendoll@wvsenate.gov; Mark.Maynard@wvsenate.gov; jeff.mullins@wvsenate.gov; herb.snyder@wvsenate.gov; dave.sypolt@wvsenate.gov;
bob.williams@wvsenate.gov; mike.woelfel@wvsenate.gov; jack.yost@wvsenate.gov

Thank you for helping us make the state more efficient!

P.S. – If you want to listen in on the committee meeting, you should be able to do so by checking on this page on Thursday at 1 p.m. here: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/live.cfm.