The Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT) is proud to announce the introduction of the bipartisan Federal Mechanical Insulation Act (FMIA) by U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on April 16.
Properly installed mechanical insulation provides large-scale and long-term energy efficiency, emissions reductions, cost savings and safety benefits for manufacturing facilities, power plants, refineries, hospitals, universities and government buildings, while creating thousands of American jobs. Nearly all Mechanical Insulation is produced in the U.S.
Further, if approved, the FMIA, Senate Bill 4312, will advance federal energy efficiencies, save tax dollars and reduce energy loss and emissions for all federal buildings in the U.S. It will also add an important audit metric for regulators to include when assessing federal buildings’ measure of Mechanical Insulation efficiencies.
S. 4312 was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Companion legislation, House Resolution 3474, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) and Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) last year.
“The federal government owns over 350,000 buildings across the United States and is the largest energy user in the country,” said Sen. Masto. “The American taxpayer is on the hook for every single dollar wasted on energy-inefficient systems. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that government buildings’ mechanical systems are running at peak efficiency to prevent waste.”
“The Federal Mechanical Insulation Act is a commonsense bill that cuts energy waste, saves taxpayer dollars and supports good-paying jobs for Montana’s skilled tradesmen,” said Sen. Daines. “This legislation strengthens the efficiency of federal buildings while creating more opportunities for union workers who help keep our communities running.”
According to the Government Accounting Office (GAO), the federal government is the single largest energy consumer in the country, consuming more than 344 trillion BTUs of energy and 119 billion gallons of water in
Fiscal Year 2021. Federal agencies are required by statute to conduct energy and water use evaluations and audits of federal facilities every four years to identify energy or water savings efficiency measures.
Currently, the National Energy Conservation Policy Act, part of the National Energy Act 1978, sets out an array of measures intended to promote energy conservation in all three sectors of U.S. energy use – buildings, industry, and transport.
Section 432 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) makes changes to Section 543 of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) and creates a statutory requirement for federal agencies to conduct energy and water use evaluations, which include energy audits, of federal buildings.
While Section 432 of EISA does not define “comprehensive energy and water evaluations,” the Department of Energy provides some guidelines for audits as part of these evaluations. This proposed legislation would clarify that Mechanical Insulation energy audits qualify under comprehensive energy and water evaluations.
In recognition of the important role that Mechanical Insulation plays in lowering operating expenses, reducing energy loss and decreasing emissions, the legislation makes the following specific changes to portions of the EISA:
- Defines “Mechanical Insulation property” as materials, facings and accessory products that are part of a mechanical system and that reduce energy loss from that mechanical system, and meets or exceeds the minimum requirements of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 90.1.
- Expands the definition of “energy and water evaluations” to include identification of energy- and water-saving measures (including installation of Mechanical Insulation property, if applicable).
Pete R. Ielmini, the Executive Director of the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, thanked both Sens. Masto and Daines for introducing the legislation.
“On behalf of the broad coalition of business interests and labor unions supporting the Mechanical Insulation industry, we applaud Sens. Catherine Masto and Daines for their bi-partisan leadership on this important legislation,” Ielmini said.
“The FMIA will advance energy efficiencies in federally owned buildings, saving American tax dollars and supporting good-paying jobs with benefits across the country. We look forward to working with the Senators and all interested parties to move this commonsense legislation forward and deliver financial and energy savings to the American taxpayer,” he added.
The FMIA is supported by a diverse coalition of leading labor and industry voices including:
- LMCT
- AFL-CIO
- BuildingAction
- Central States Insulation Association (CSIA)
- Eastern States Insulation Contractors Association (ESICA)
- Insulation Contractors Association of New York (ICANY)
- Industrial Insulation Contractors Association of Southern NY (IICASNY)
- International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (IAHFIAW)
- Midwest Insulation Contractors Association (MICA)
- National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO)
- North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU)
- National Insulation Association (NIA)
- National Union Insulation Contractors Alliance
- Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)
It is also endorsed by multiple businesses:
- Advanced Specialty Contractors
- Aeroflex
- Alkegen
- Anchor Insulation LLC
- APi Construction Company
- Argus Contracting
- Atlantic Contracting & Specialties
- Bondy Insulation
- Burnham Industrial Contractors, Inc.
- Coldwater Insulation, Inc.
- Cornerstone Services Group LLC
- DKB, Inc.
- Gribbins Insulation
- Hailey Insulation Corp.
- Hamilton Insulation, Inc.
- Johns Manville
- M & O Insulation Company
- National Environmental Contracting, Inc.
- Owens Corning
- Prime Insulation LLC
- RFJ Insulation Contractor, Inc.
- Rival Insulation
- Smart Energy Insulation
- Summit Contracting
For more information about the value of Mechanical Insulation, please contact the LMCT.