POWER Act

The Power Efficiency and Resiliency (POWER) Act proposes to expand and extend federal tax credits for businesses that invest in high-efficiency energy systems. Specifically, it would provide a 30% tax credit for "combined heat and power" systems, which capture heat that is normally wasted during electricity generation to provide heating or cooling for buildings. The bill also introduces a similar 30% credit for "waste heat to power" technology, which converts excess heat from industrial processes back into usable electricity.

For the average citizen, this legislation aims to lower energy costs and improve grid reliability by encouraging industrial facilities, hospitals, and universities to generate their own efficient power on-site. By incentivizing the use of energy that would otherwise be wasted, the bill seeks to reduce overall fuel consumption and decrease the environmental impact of industrial operations. While the bill was introduced in 2015 and did not become law in that session, its provisions were designed to support more resilient local energy infrastructure.