American Energy Efficiency Act

American Energy Efficiency Act

This bill amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to prescribe a federal energy efficiency resource standard for retail electricity and natural gas suppliers.

The Secretary of Energy is directed to implement a program which establishes:

• measurement and verification procedures and standards that count only measures and savings that are additional to business-as-usual customer purchase practices;
• certain requirements governing retail electricity suppliers and retail natural gas suppliers;
• other requirements governing applications for, and implementation of, delegated state administration; and
• rules to govern transfers of electricity or natural gas savings between suppliers and third-party efficiency providers serving the same state and between suppliers and third-party efficiency providers serving different states.

Mandatory performance standards for 2017-2030 are prescribed for retail energy suppliers. No standards for any subsequent year may be lower than the standard for 2030.

Retail electricity and natural gas suppliers are subject to monetary penalties for failure to document the adequate savings required by this Act.

The Secretary may delegate to a state responsibility for administering this Act within its territory upon determining that it will meet or exceed the energy efficiency required by this Act.

The Secretary must: (1) review state implementation of this Act, every two years, in approximately one-half of the states; and (2) take certain measures where deficiencies are found.