WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that her bipartisan legislation with Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) to help nonprofits save money on energy efficiency upgrades passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act would create a grant program that will help nonprofits—including places of worship, faith-based organizations, and youth centers—afford the materials needed to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

“As nonprofits become more energy efficient, they can allocate more resources to their core missions,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation is a win-win—it’s beneficial for the environment, nonprofits, and the communities they serve. Now that it has advanced through Committee, I look forward to it passing the full Senate and being signed into law.”

This legislation would provide $50 million each year for the next five years to create a pilot grant program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to support nonprofits in purchasing materials for energy efficiency projects. The grants would promote energy efficiency by supporting the purchase of materials for upgrades to existing infrastructure. Nonprofits could apply for grants up to $200,000. In 2016, a provision based on Klobuchar and Hoeven’s Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act passed the Senate as part of the bipartisan energy bill.

This legislation is supported by the National Council of Churches, the YMCA of the USA, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, among other organizations.

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