May 20, 1975
Page 15341
ENERGY CONSERVATION AND CLIMATIZATION FOR THE POOR
Mr. CRANSTON. Mr. President, I wish to join in full support of the remarks of the distinguished majority leader (Mr. MANSFIELD). I concur fully with his statement of strong concern for the establishment of a national energy center to coordinate winterization program activities carried out under section 222(a) (12) of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as amended.
I am most grateful to the committee and to Chairman MAGNUSON and the distinguished majority leader for adding in the Second Supplemental Appropriations Act as reported, $19 million for the section 222 (a) (12) program.
I have worked closely with Senator MANSFIELD on this program over the last month. The program and the establishment of the center are matters of considerable interest to me for the following reasons:
First, as a member of both the Labor and Public Welfare Committee and the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, I am involved in the work of both of these committees with joint jurisdiction over housing-related energy problems of the poor. For example, title XI of the Energy Independence Act of 1975, as proposed n the President's energy message would have established a winterization program similar, although not as complete, as the one, already called for by EOA section 222(a) (12). This bill was jointly referred to both committees.
Second, the California Community Action Programs Association has specifically asked me to support establishment of the center. The association has indicated that there is a critical need to develop alternative energy sources appropriate to the various California constituencies which it represents, and to their physical locations and climates. Moreover, the ever rising costs of more traditional fuels make the need to reduce poor people's dependence on costly energy sources an increasingly critical one. At the present time, we are lacking a source of technical support which can keep abreast of current activities in the field, assess alternative proposals and systems, encourage technological innovation, and assist local groups n the development of technology appropriate to the needs of the people. The proposed national energy center would serve that purpose.
Third, we have been very actively working in concert with Senator MANSFIELD'S staff, in developing the concept of the center.
Finally, I initiated a letter to Senator MAGNUSON, chairman of the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, Health; Education, and Welfare, cosigned by Senator MANSFIELD and six other Senators n which we urged funding of $64 million for the program and emphasized the need for the program and the center. We stated then, and I would like to reassert at this time, that the center is a major component in assuring the cost-effectiveness of the winterization program.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the letters be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
WASHINGTON, D.C.,
April 21, 1975.
Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON,
Chairman,
Subcommittee on Labor-Health, Education, and Welfare,
Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, D.C.
DEAR MR.. CHAIRMAN: We are writing to urge that the Subcommittee include in H.R. 5899, the Second Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1975, funds for "Emergency Energy Conservation Services" under section 222 (a) (12) of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as amended.
These funds would provide insulation and winterization services for the, elderly, poor, and near-poor. If they are to secure relief from next winter's cold, winterization activities must be completed during the coming summer and fall. Thus, it is vital for the funds to be made available at this time.
DISCUSSION
The Community Services Administration (CSA) and over 700 of its delegate agencies have already utilized $22 million in local initiative funds for this program in FY 75. But we must build upon and expand those efforts. The Federal Energy Administration has (we think conservatively) estimated that five million homes occupied by the poor are badly in need of insulation.
You will recall that seventeen Senators wrote you on February 25 regarding this program and the need to expand CSA's ongoing efforts. The Director of CSA, Mr. Bert Gallegos, has stated that, as of February 12, 1975, there were pending unsolicited and unmet applications for programs under section 222(a) (12) totalling $88.1 million, and that an additional $53.5 million in new proposals were being developed, for an aggregate of $141.6 million. He has further testified before your Subcommittee on March 4, 1975, that $64 million can be effectively utilized in FY 1975.
The program is patterned after the highly successful pilot project ("Project FUEL") conducted by CSA in the State of Maine in 1974. That project resulted in winterizing more than 3,000 homes at a total cost of less than $160 per home. The $280,000 expended on materials resulted in dramatic benefits. Health problems, particularly among the elderly, were reduced. Families were able to save fuel costs of two or three times the amount spent in materials.
We believe that this program can make a highly effective use of funds. Most of the money would go for insulation materials, since states will be encouraged to use enrollees in programs under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA), as well as volunteers, to do the labor. The program would also utilize a national energy center. This would be an action-oriented center, designed to find and package technology of an immediately applicable nature. The center should greatly increase the program's cost-effectiveness, by preparing energy conservation packages designed for specific climates and areas.
Mr. Chairman, we wish to stress the program's importance in terms of energy conservation. CSA's report on "Project FUEL" indicates that 1.6 million gallons of fuel oil and kerosene were conserved. They also estimate a yearly savings of six gallons of fuel oil for each dollar spent on insulation materials. Thus, the appropriation that we are now requesting is also an investment in energy conservation. It will repay itself many times over, not only in reduced fuel costs for individuals but in increased energy independence for our Nation.
RECOMMENDATION
Although the President has not submitted a budget request for this program as we had urged, the above discussion, we believe, illustrates the critical nature and cost-effectiveness of this program. We therefore urge the subcommittee to add $55 million to GSA's appropriation over and above the $9 million added on the House floor for this purpose. This would bring the total amount available under section 22.2(a) (12) to $64 million – the amount Director Gallegos has testified could be effectively utilized this fiscal year and an amount equal to the President's winterization request for FY 1975 and 1976 (under title XI of his energy proposal which the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee has already decided not to include in the bill, S. 1483, which it has ordered reported from Committee). We also ask that this $64 million be identified in the Committee report as specifically for section 222 (a) (12) winterization, acclimatization, and energy conservation activities, including the establishment of an energy center.
Although we understand that the Subcommittee included $10 million for winterization purposes under section 222 (a) (12) in the Emergency Employment Appropriations Act, H.R. 9452, we believe that it would be preferable to include all funds for this purpose in one bill. We would favor the bill in which CSA's regular appropriations will be included, the Second Supplemental Appropriations Act, H.R. 5899.
Thank you and the members of the Committee for your consideration. We are most grateful for your assistance.
With warm regards.
Sincerely,
MIKE MANSFIELD,
HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, Jr.,
ALAN CRANSTON,
HENRY M. JACKSON,
EDMUND S. MUSKIE,
LEE METCALF.
Mr. CRANSTON. Mr. President, in closing, I would strongly urge the committee to direct in the conference report on H.R. 5899 that the Community Services Administration establish a national energy center to assist CSA in the development and expansion of its wnterization assistance program. Such an energy conservation program is in the Nation's interest and deserves our full support as the Senator from Montana has already so eloquently pointed out.
Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for their efforts. on H.R. 5899, the Second Supplemenal Appropriations Act, 1975. I, particularly, want to thank the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Labor-HEW (Mr. MAGNUSON) and its ranking minority member
(Mr. BURKE) for his tireless efforts and dedication to insuring adequate funding for many important human needs programs. There are a number of such programs, contained n this supplemental, which I would like to discuss in greater detail.