Congressional Testimony given by R.K. Stewart
AIA President RK Stewart, FAIA, Testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
On Monday, February 12, 2007, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing to receive recommendations on policies and programs to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and to expand the role of electric and gas utilities in energy efficiency programs.
AIA President RK Stewart, FAIA, called on Congress to take the lead in the fight against global warming by establishing new energy consumption standards for federal buildings. To read Stewart's testimony, click here.
In his testimony, Stewart asked lawmakers to pass a combination
of regulations and incentives to reduce fossil fuel generation and
improve energy efficiency. Noting the AIA’s official position
on establishing energy reduction targets in buildings, Stewart
promoted the 2030 Challenge: by 2010, new and significantly
renovated federal buildings be required to reduce fossil fuel
generated energy by 60 percent; by 2015, by 70 percent; and
continuing until 2030, when a 100 percent reduction in fossil fuel
generated energy in all new federal buildings would be
achieved.
Stewart told the committee that architects across the country have
embraced the 2030 Challenge and are expanding the use of design
practices that enhance design quality as they increase the
environmental performance of buildings. He offered that clients are
often concerned about “first costs,” but in testimony and
in response to a question from subcommittee ranking Republican Sen.
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reiterated that the payback is when the
“long-term tale of the building is written.”
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), the chair of the Energy Subcommittee,
thanked Stewart for his contributions to the conversation and
called the architects’ views “a very important
perspective.”
Other witnesses who testified before the subcommittee included:
- Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy
- Kim Christianson, Energy Program Director, North Dakota Department of Commerce
- Jack Hebert, President/CEO, Cold Climate Housing Research Cente
- James E. Rogers, Chairman, Edison Electric Institute and Chairman/President/CEO of Duke Energy
- Charles Zimmerman, Vice President, Wal-Mart