In December, President Obama hosted Simonton Windows President Mark Savan and other business leaders in Washington to discuss home energy efficiency issues and plans for the future. Held in the President’s Private Dining Room, the group of invited business leaders included Savan, Frank Blake, CEO of Home Depot, Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow, and Steve Cowell, Chairman and CEO of Conservation Services Group. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Valerie B. Jarrett, senior advisor to the President, also participated in the in-depth discussions.

“This was an exceptional opportunity to have a productive interaction with the President on the need for more energy-efficient products and homes in America,” said Savan, who also serves as COO of Simonton. “President Obama is clearly dedicated to the goal of energy-efficiency in America. He was eager to discuss programs and procedures that would help Americans make their homes more energy efficient.

“Additionally, we talked about the challenge of adding potential incentives that would rally homeowners to adopt energy-saving technologies and products,” Savan continued. “I was sincerely impressed by the President’s eagerness to gain a greater understanding of the issues related to energy from the people gathered in the room. From all indications, he will use yesterday’s meeting to support strong initiatives to make homes and buildings more energy-efficient in the future.”

The Obama administration is extremely interested in finding solutions that will put more people to work in our country while making homes more energy-efficient, Savan said.

“I believe the varied input from everyone at the meeting has helped provide President Obama with additional insights into both the manufacturer’s viewpoints and the homeowner’s perspectives when it comes to energy-related home improvements,” he said. 

Simonton strongly supports the pending legislation that would shift the federal tax credit from the .30/.30 requirement to align with the newly-introduced Energy Star 2010 standards.

“The shift of the tax credit from the artificial criteria established in the stimulus bill to the newest Energy Star label would help build on the success of the tax credit by providing consumers with the most energy-efficient window based on their particular home and the climate they live in,” Savan said. “At Simonton, we believe this legislation would be a positive step toward making it simpler for more Americans to participate in the federal energy tax credit program in 2010.”