President Barack Obama signed the economic stimulus legislation - the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provides numerous incentives and new national strategies in renewable energy, smart grid, advanced vehicles, energy efficiency, and many other aspects of energy, environment, climate and sustainability, including investments and tax credits to support clean energy and green jobs, helping at the same time achieve the nation's environmental goals faster.

According to ASHRAE President Bill Harrison, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is very important because in the economic stimulus package, ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007 and its energy-saving features are recognized through special funding measures. “The inclusion of Standard 90.1 in the economic stimulus package demonstrates not only its importance in the building industry, but the importance and economic potential of saving energy and promoting energy-efficient technologies.”

SMACNA President John Ilten also praised the Act’s long list of green building infrastructure tax incentives designed to leverage more than $100 billion dollars in private sector green construction and retrofit activity in the commercial, institutional, residential and industrial sectors in the coming years.

According to EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, “through the President’s stimulus package, green initiatives will play a significant role in powering economic recovery”, and “EPA’s portion of the plan will create good, sustainable jobs that help produce cleaner drinking water, purer air, environmentally friendly urban and rural re-development, and reduced greenhouse gases.” 

According to AHRI President Stephen Yurek, the Package helps industry provide energy saving solutions to more homes, schools and government buildings. "We are thrilled that there appears to be a paradigm shift in how policymakers view our industry. They have provided the market stimulus to help us provide those energy saving solutions for the good of the nation."

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