Requiring a Report on the Impact of Thermal Insulation in Federal Buildings (H.R. 568)

What is H.R. 568?

(Updated July 21, 2017)

This bill would require the Department of Energy to submit a report to Congress within one year which would detail the impact of thermal insulation on energy and water use in federal buildings and the return on investment of installing insulation.

Argument in favor

This bill could help identify opportunities to make federal buildings more energy and water efficient, conserving our valuable natural resources.

Argument opposed

Having the Department of Energy take a year to prepare a report about a technology that we already know works is a waste of money.

Impact

The Department of Energy; federal buildings with thermal insulation.

Cost of H.R. 568

A CBO cost is unavailable.

Additional Info

In Depth: In a speech supporting the bill, sponsoring Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) explained that:

"Today, millions of gallons of water and energy are wasted due to heating losses that could be prevented through the increased use of thermal insulation. The purpose of this legislation is to help identify opportunities in which we can maximize energy and water efficiency through the minimization of waste in our Federal facilities. With the Federal Government being the single-largest consumer of energy in the country, the potential savings from the increased use of thermal insulation has the potential to be very significant in the amount of resources, both natural and financial, that can be saved."

Of Note: Rep. Kinzinger has introduced similar legislation before. In 2014, he introduced an almost identical bill to this one, which passed a vote in the House but never reached a vote in the Senate.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) Speech
• National Insulation Association