Master Builders of Iowa

USGBC identified its 'Top 20 List' of green building legislation. The list honors the bipartisan work of the Congress members who have introduced key energy efficiency and building legislation this year.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009
Spurred green jobs across the country with the most funding ever dedicated toward clean energy and energy efficiency projects in a stimulus package. Contained over $80 billion in funds for clean energy, including over $22 billion for energy efficiency programs.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act – HR 2454
Passed the House on Jun. 26, 2009
Spurs widespread modernization and renovation of existing building stock in America
by establishing incentives for efficient building retrofits (the REEP Act introduced by
Rep. Welch), incentivizes energy-efficient home mortgages and utilizes basic green
building standards for public housing projects (the GREEN Act introduced by Rep. Perlmutter), improves building efficiency codes, establishes a building energy performance labeling program, creates a rebate program for water-efficient products and properties and moves the U.S. to a low-carbon future by setting targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions, renewable electricity use, and industrial efficiency.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act – HR 2187
Passed the House on May 18, 2009
Authorizes $6.4 billion annually in 2010 for critically needed K through 12 school modernization, renovation, and repair; and ensures the best learning environments for America’s children by requiring 100% of funds be used to meet green building standards by 2015.

The Expanding Building Efficiency Incentives Act of 2009 – HR 4226
Introduced on Dec. 8, 2009
Makes efficient homes and buildings more achievable by increasing and extending the new energy-efficient home tax credit and improving financial incentives for energy efficient commercial buildings. Increases consumer energy awareness by establishing a tax credit for home energy ratings for the first time ever, and grows the green job market by providing financial assistance for home-performance auditor training and certification.

The Property Assessed Clean Energy Tax Benefits Act – HR 4155
Introduced Nov. 19, 2009
Allows American home owners to finance cost-saving energy- and water-efficient retrofi
ts with minimal upfront costs by enabling State and local property assessed clean
energy (PACE) programs.

An Act to Enhance Private Financing for Clean Energy Technology Deployment – HR 3836
Introduced Oct. 15, 2009
Unlocks private financing for clean energy by authorizing government credit support for state, local, and private entities that enable building owners and users to significantly increase energy efficiency and generate on-site clean, renewable electricity.

The Energy Efficiency Modernization Act of 2009 – HR 4099
Introduced on Nov. 18, 2009
Improves the energy efficiency of federally assisted housing by an estimated 25 to 40 percent by enabling and incentivizing private affordable housing owners to finance
efficiency and green building improvements, increasing the job market for energy retrofits.

The Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment (WATER) Act – HR 1908
Introduced Apr. 2, 2009
Increases efficient use of freshwater resources and saves energy by creating a tax incentive of up to $1,500 for purchase of WaterSense labeled products and property.

The Livable Communities Act of 2010
*PENDING INTRODUCTION*
Promotes the linkage of transportation, housing, and energy and resource use in
American communities by establishing an Interagency Council on Sustainable Communities; funds the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities within HUD, and authorizes over $4 billion in grants to incentivize integrated community planning and implementation of sustainable projects.

The Federal Personnel Training Act of 2010
*PENDING INTRODUCTION*
Ensures the effectiveness of federal high-performance green buildings and protects tax dollars by investing in the training of federal personnel to operate and maintain
high-performance buildings at peak efficiency, and promotes federal leadership in defining core skill sets for green jobs that can be replicated in the private sector replication.

The Clean Energy and American Jobs Act
Reported out of committee on Nov. 5, 2009
Spurs widespread modernization and renovation of existing building stock in America
by establishing incentives for efficient building retrofits (the REEP Act introduced by
Rep. Welch in the House), targets improvements in building efficiency codes, establishes
a rebate program for water-efficient products and properties, and moves the
U.S. to a low-carbon future by setting targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions, renewable electricity use, and industrial efficiency.

The American Clean Energy and Leadership Act – S 1733
Reported out of committee on Jul. 16, 2009
Increases the sustainability of the built environment by establishing an energy efficiency building retrofit incentive program and improving building efficiency codes, and creates a building energy information program for energy data disclosure.

Energy Efficiency in Housing Act (EEHA) of 2009 – S 1462
Introduced Jun. 25, 2009
Transforms and modernizes the U.S. housing market by incentivizing GSEs such as
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to use Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and Location
Efficient Mortgages (LEMs); ensures that the benefits of green buildings are accessible
to Americans of all income levels by utilizing standards for public housing projects,
including green building standards for single-family or multifamily structures.

Livable Communities Act of 2009 – S 1619
Introduced Aug. 6, 2009
Promotes the linkage of transportation, housing, and energy and resource use in
American communities by establishing an Interagency Council on Sustainable Communities; funds the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities within HUD, and authorizes over $4 billion in grants to incentivize integrated community planning and
implementation of sustainable projects.

The Expanding Building Efficiency Incentives Act of 2009 – S 1637
Introduced Aug. 6, 2009
Makes efficient homes and buildings more achievable by increasing and extending the new energy-efficient home tax credit and improving financial incentives for energy
efficient commercial buildings. Increases consumer energy awareness by establishing
a tax credit for home energy ratings for the first time ever, and grows the green job
market by providing financial assistance for home-performance auditor training and
certification.

The School Building Fairness Act – S 1121
Introduced on May 21, 2009
Promotes green schools by directing $6 billion dollars in competitive matching grants
to local educational agencies across the country for school repair, renovation, and construction with prioritization for local agencies that will use green building standards.

Clean Energy for Homes and Buildings Act of 2009 – S 1574
Introduced Aug. 4, 2009
Creates clean energy capital by funding a $2 billion dollar Clean Energy for Homes
and Buildings Program in the Department of Energy, which will make loan guarantees,
financing, and credit support available to states and local governments for enabling
energy-efficient home and building retrofits and on-site renewable energy production.

The Energy Efficiency Modernization Act of 2009 – S 2897
Introduced Dec. 17, 2009
Improves the energy efficiency of federally assisted housing by an estimated 25 to 40
percent by enabling and incentivizing private affordable housing owners to finance
efficiency and green building improvements, increasing the job market for energy
retrofits.

The Water Accountability Tax Efficiency Reinvestment (WATER) Act of 2009 – S 1321
Introduced Jun. 23, 2009
Increases efficient use of freshwater resources and saves energy by creating a tax
incentive of up to $1,500 for purchase of WaterSense labeled products and property.

The Federal Agency Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2009 – S 1830
Introduced Dec. 16, 2009
Promotes federal leadership in sustainability by directing federal agencies to collect
data on building energy consumption and develop and implement policies for agencies
to minimize energy use; authorizes a renewable power purchase agreement pilot
program for federal agencies.