S. 548: Save American Energy Act
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S. 548: Save American Energy Act
111th Congress · introduced 2009-03-09 · Energy · Latest: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-28.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2009-03-09 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-28. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Save American Energy Act
Plain summary
Save American Energy Act - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a federal energy efficiency resource standard for retail electricity and natural gas distributors. Requires the Secretary of Energy to: (1) establish a program to implement, enforce, review, and adjust performance standards for specified cumulative electricity and natural gas savings for 2012 through 2020; (2) promulgate regulations establishing performance standards for 2021 through 2030 and for subsequent years by specified deadlines; and (3) set such standards at levels reflecting the maximum achievable level of cost-effective energy efficiency potential, taking into account cost-effective energy savings achieved by leading retail electricity and natural gas distributors, opportunities for new codes and standard savings, technology improvements, and other indicators of cost-effective energy efficiency potential. Prohibits standards for any year from being lower than the standard for 2020. Requires the Secretary, at 10-year intervals, to review and increase the most recent standards if additional cost-effective energy efficiency potential is achievable. Requires each retail electricity and natural gas distributor to submit a report annually demonstrating that it has achieved required savings, which the Secretary shall review to verify that performance standards have been met. Authorizes distributors to use electricity or natural gas savings purchased from another distributor, a state, or a third party efficiency provider to meet such standards. Provides for state administration of an energy efficiency program to meet the requirements of this Act. Requires the Secretary to direct the state to correct deficiencies found in a review, and to report to the Secretary on progress not later than 180 days after the date of the receipt of review results. Requires the Secretary to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to submit a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the program established by this Act by July 1, 2017, and every 10 years thereafter.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Save American Energy Act
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
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The strongest published arguments
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · 2 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Rulemaking
- The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s548.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>
Record fed-us-cong111-s548 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111