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Read. Follow. Verify.Senate Hearing on Smart Building Technology and Energy Efficiency
Record date · January 1, 2019
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What This Bill Does
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to discuss how advanced building management and control systems can improve energy efficiency. The discussion focused on the potential for smart technologies to reduce energy consumption and costs for American households, with specific attention to the challenges of in rural areas like Alaska.
This hearing explores federal oversight of energy-efficient building standards that influence household energy costs and the integration of smart technology into the national power grid.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Rural Alaskan residents
High energy costs in these communities make them sensitive to changes in building efficiency standards and energy management technology.
U.S. Department of Energy
The department is responsible for setting energy efficiency standards and managing research into building technologies.
Key Facts
- New homes in the U.S. use approximately 20% less energy for space heating than older homes due to smart technologies.
- The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that energy-efficient equipment and appliance standards save the average American household roughly $216 per year.
- Energy costs in rural Alaska are significantly higher than the national average, with some families spending up to 50% of their household budget on energy.
- The hearing addressed the intersection of smart building technology and cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the electric grid.
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- The committee heard testimony from representatives of the Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Southern Company, and Emerson Commercial and Residential Solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are 'smart' building technologies?
How much money do energy-efficient standards save households?
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Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
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Focus on Rural Energy Costs
The hearing highlights a shift in focus toward how national energy efficiency standards impact high-cost, rural regions differently than the national average.
Connected Entities
Sources
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Analysis Score
0–100- Significance40How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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