The Real Estate Roundtable Supports Obama Administration's New Initiative on Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Real Estate Roundtable, representing the nation's top real estate ownership, development, lending and management firms, applauds today's announcement from the Obama Administration to put Americans back to work by encouraging retrofit projects that will make buildings in our urban and suburban areas more energy efficient.

"President Obama's 'Better Buildings Initiative' sets forth an excellent blueprint to re-employ the construction workforce, modernize our built environment, and help ensure our Nations' energy security," said Jeffrey D. DeBoer, President and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable.  "At a time when the real estate sector is still struggling to achieve full economic recovery, incentives to encourage building upgrade projects will leverage private investment, encourage lending, and create well-paying jobs that can't be exported."

The "Better Buildings Initiative" emphasizes incentives that will create public-private partnerships to make commercial buildings more energy efficient, including improvement of existing tax incentives and loan guarantee programs.  The Initiative is also a commitment to a recent Executive Order from the White House that emphasizes voluntary incentives over one-size-fits-all federal regulations, which have adverse economic impacts on businesses.

The Initiative calls for a "Better Buildings Challenge" to provide recognition for real estate and other companies that set themselves apart as leaders in saving energy and improving productivity.  

"Under this Initiative, business owners will benefit through lower energy bills.  Further, upgrading our built environment will allow our country to maintain its competitive edge in the international marketplace," said DeBoer.  "The Real Estate Roundtable and our members look forward to working with President Obama to fulfill his vision for greater investments in innovative efficiency and clean energy technologies."

The White House Fact Sheet on the Better Buildings Initiative is available at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/03/president-obama-s-plan-win-future-making-american-businesses-more-energy.

SOURCE Real Estate Roundtable