SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“We support the steps President Obama and Congress are taking to address the need for predictable energy policy with alignment of incentives that puts people back to work updating our schools, hospitals, and commercial infrastructure,” said Dean Allen, CEO of McKinstry Company. “We know this renewed focus will put tens of thousands of sheet metal workers, carpenters, engineers, architects, plumbers, pipefitters, and electricians currently sitting on the sidelines back to work -- all across the nation. This is good for business, good for the environment, and good for the economy.”
McKinstry, headquartered in Seattle WA, is a 50 year old design/build contracting firm that emerged as a leader of energy, waste, and water solutions over the past decade. McKinstry has built a successful business on the premise that achieving efficiency gains in the commercial building sector will provide rates of return that can be predicted and monetized for any owner or asset class. Furthermore, we have found that modest incentives that help to finance projects is an effective way to encourage deeper and more innovative projects that build a new economy.
McKinstry is currently engaged in work catalyzed through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act in cities and communities all across the country. They see direct benefit and alignments to goals set forth by the Obama Administration with jobs created and energy saved in all of these projects and commend the administration’s focused efforts to scale what worked. The Better Buildings Initiative’s intended outcomes are both achievable and necessary to further America’s position in the clean energy economy.
“The country is largely experiencing a jobless recovery,” said Dean Allen, CEO of McKinstry Company. “In these tough economic times, we encourage our national leaders to continue efforts directed at local communities that create durable jobs, make schools, hospitals and public buildings healthy and safe, all while reducing energy costs and environmental impacts. These are real jobs with measureable outcomes.”
The President’s proposal, if adopted, will stimulate the economy and make American businesses more energy efficient through a number of initiatives:
- New tax incentives for building efficiency: Currently, a tax deduction of up to $1.80 per SF is available for expenditures on upgrades to building lighting, HVAC, and envelope. The proposal changes this from a deduction to a more generous tax credit that will encourage building owners and real estate investment trusts to retrofit their properties. This represents a potential ten percent increase in current incentive levels.
- Loan Guarantees - A new pilot program through the Department of Energy will guarantee loans for energy efficiency upgrades at hospitals, schools and other commercial buildings.
- The Better Buildings Challenge: The President is challenging CEOs and University Presidents to make their organizations leaders in saving energy, which will save them money and improve productivity. Partners will commit to a series of actions to make their facilities more efficient.
- Training the next generation of commercial building technology workers: Using existing authorities, the Administration is currently working to implement a number of reforms, including improving transparency around energy efficiency performance, launching a Building Construction Technology Extension Partnership modeled on the successful Manufacturing Extension Partnership at Commerce, and providing workforce training in areas such as energy auditing and building operations.
- Federal Grants for Reductions in Local Red Tape: A “Race to Green” competition for state and municipal governments. Much of the authority to alter codes, regulations, and performance standards relating to commercial energy efficiency lies in the jurisdiction of states and localities. This proposes competitive grants to states and local governments that streamline standards, encouraging upgrades and attracting private investment.
- Small Business Administration Loans: The Small Business Administration is currently working to encourage existing lenders to take advantage of recently increased loan size limits to promote new energy efficiency retrofit loans for small businesses.
McKinstry is a full-service, design-build-operate-and-maintain (DBOM) firm specializing in consulting, construction, energy and facility services. Our innovative, integrated delivery methodology provides clients with a single point of accountability that drives waste, cost, time, and redundancy out of the design/build process. We employ over 1,600 professional staff and trades people throughout the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, West, Midwest, and Southwest regions of the United States with operations in more than 15 states. McKinstry advocates collaborative and sustainable solutions designed to ensure occupant comfort, improve systems efficiency, reduce facility operational costs, and ultimately optimize profitability for “The Life of Your Building.” For more information, visit www.mckinstry.com