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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information
Beth Cope (404) 602-9655; bcope@seealliance.org
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance Applauds Gov. Haley’s
Signing of Bill to Update South Carolina Building Energy Codes
Atlanta, April 2, 2012 – The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) applauds Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina for signing legislation that will update the current energy codes of South Carolina to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). According to the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP), this legislation will save the average South Carolinians $207/year on their energy bills. The legislation will be effective on January 1, 2013.
“SEEA commends the leadership of Gov. Haley and the South Carolina legislature for leading the pack in the Southeast in improving the overall energy efficiency of buildings in the state of South Carolina,” said SEEA President Michael Mills. “Buildings consume over 40 percent of all energy use and over 70 percent of all electricity in the United States, so updating the state’s building energy code will result in lower energy bills for South Carolina future homeowners, and improve the overall efficiency of the state’s economy.”
Mills continued, “Many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet and by adopting a stricter code. The state legislature and Gov. Haley have ensured that energy will make up less of a South Carolinian’s overall budget for the foreseeable future. Money unspent on energy waste is money spent elsewhere in the state economy, which can do nothing less than improve the economic benefits of those in the state.”
H. 4639 was introduced by Republican state Rep. Bill Sandifer of the 2nd District, on January 19, 2012, and was passed by the South Carolina House on February 22, and then the South Carolina Senate on March 21. Both bills were passed by a wide margin.
Mills concluded, “We applaud the bi-partisan work of the South Carolina legislature and the leadership of Gov. Haley in signing this legislation into law. In doing so, South Carolina has taken a large, economical leap that we urge other states in the region to follow.”
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The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance promotes energy
efficiency for a cleaner environment, a more prosperous economy, and a higher
quality of life in the Southeastern region of the United States.
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