Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act, H.R. 1807

This post Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act, H.R. 1807 originally appeared on Truth About Bills

The Bill: H.R. 1807, The Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act

Annualized Cost: Unknown

The TREES Act would “establish a grant program to assist electric utilities with energy conservation programs that use targeted tree planting to reduce residential energy demand.” Companies would determine the best locations to plant trees to maximize tree shade, which would result in lower cooling costs for residents and lower operating costs for the companies. Using tax dollars, electric companies would contract with nonprofit tree-planting organizations, which would monitor the health of the trees and conduct public awareness campaigns detailing the benefits of increased tree shade. If such organizations are not available, administrators would be authorized to contract with local governments or conservation districts. Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) reintroduced the measure that was originally proposed in the previous Congress.

H.R. 1807 calls for “such sums as may be necessary” to carry out its goals. A cost estimate is currently not available.

This article originally appeared in the National Taxpayers Union Foundation’s Taxpayer’s Tab weekly newsletter, The Taxpayer’s Tab, on July 25, 2013. The Foundation’s BillTally project scores the potential spending of every introduced bill in Congress.

This post Residential Energy and Economic Savings (TREES) Act, H.R. 1807 originally appeared on Truth About Bills