CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Energy experts say the expanded rebates and tax credits proposed in President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Act could potentially save consumers up to $500 a year on household energy costs.

House Democrats said they are intent on passing Biden's comprehensive climate and social-spending package this week.

Elgie Holstein, senior director for strategic planning at the Environmental Defense Fund, said the bill is expected to help bring down the cost of electricity by strengthening the nation's electrical grid.

"So that we have more efficiency and less loss of energy and electricity," Holstein explained. "That will mean lower cost for utilities, and lower cost for consumers over a period of years."

According to 2020 research by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, low-income, Black, Hispanic and Native American households nationwide typically spend a greater portion of their income on energy bills compared with the average household. Opponents of the Build Back Better Act, including Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., argued the plan is too expensive, would increase taxes, and does not address inflation issues.

Holstein agreed consumers and lawmakers are right to be concerned about inflation, but he believes investing in clean energy and the nation's infrastructure will help alleviate spikes in the cost of food, gas and consumer goods.

"Both the Build Back Better bill and the infrastructure legislation that the president has signed into law, both of them will have the impact of bringing down inflation over time," Holstein asserted.

Holstein also pointed out federal rebates for more efficient home appliances such as furnaces, water heaters and HVAC systems will mean homeowners will spend less on utilities.

"The rebates, which you'll be able to cash in on right at the appliance dealer, will enable you to make a purchase of some of the newest, most energy-efficient appliances that over the long term are going to save hundreds of dollars for the people who are able to take advantage of this new program," Holstein contended.

According to the Biden administration, the Build Back Better Act includes grants and loans to specifically help rural residents tap into clean-energy opportunities. The bill also would cut the cost of installing rooftop solar for a home by around 30%, and the electric vehicle tax credit will lower the cost of an electric vehicle by more than $12,000.

New York elected officials are calling on the General Assembly to pass legislation to transition new buildings off fossil fuels, saying it would make the state cleaner and healthier.

The All-Electric Building Act would require new buildings to have all-electric appliances for space and water heating and cooking by 2023. It also would mandate state agencies to identify policies to make electricity more affordable and accessible for low-income residents.

Dominic Frongillo, co-Founder of Elected Officials to Protect America, said it is about saving lives and money.

"Right here in New York, air pollution from burning gas and buildings leads to about 1,000 deaths a year and most of those are in communities of color," Frongillo reported. "It's a real, real harm to our public health."

New York burns more fossil fuels in its buildings than any state in the country. Research shows an all-electric home in New York City would save households $6,800 over the course of 15 years.

The bill received a hearing last week and must be passed by the end of the legislative session June 2.

William Reinhardt, an Albany County legislator, and a former professional energy analyst with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said in the long run, it makes the most sense economically to introduce new technologies through new construction.

"If you compare an all-electric building, new construction now, to a fossil-fuel building with central air conditioning, again new construction, so we are comparing apples to apples, the all-electric building is actually cheaper," Reinhardt pointed out.

Under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, New York is mandating 70% of all electricity generated in New York be from renewable sources by 2030. Officials say getting all newly-constructed buildings to be fossil fuel-free is key to achieving the goal.

CORRECTION: Enbridge is proposing a rerouting of its existing Line 5. An earlier version incorrectly stated the project involved an expansion. (2:40 p.m. MST, May 17, 2022)

It's been a year since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's order to close the Line 5 pipelines was supposed to take effect - but the pipeline system is still operating, and its company Enbridge Energy is proposing a reroute.

The reroute would take Line 5 through hundreds of waterways in Michigan and Wisconsin, and the company also plans to build a tunnel around the existing pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.

Jannan Cornstalk is director of the Water is Life festival and a citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. She is among those who signed a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, asking them to reject permits for expanding Line 5.

"Our community is a tribal fishing community," said Cornstalk. "If and when the pipeline breaks anywhere along the line, it will affect so many tributaries, inland streams, lakes, not just the Straits."

According to the National Wildlife Federation, Line 5 leaked 29 times from 1968 to 2017.

A company spokesperson said an estimated $46 million dollars will be spent with Native-owned businesses and communities for the rerouting, and the project is undergoing reviews by state and federal regulators.

The integrity of those reviews has been questioned by tribal leaders and environmental groups.

Bill Latka is one of the co-founders of the coalition Oil and Water Don't Mix. He pointed to research that shows anchor strikes are the most likely way that the pipelines could rupture.

"It's located in the middle of a business shipping channel," said Latka. "And when you put those two things - pipelines and anchors - next to each other, it's bound to happen. There's bound to be a rupture."

Cornstalk added that it's important for the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies responsible for issuing permits to consult with Tribal Nations that have been stewards of the land for centuries.

"As tribal people, it's like we need to be included in the conversation, immediately have consultation from the beginning," said Cornstalk, "because we are supposed to have a government-to-government relationship, and many times that doesn't happen."

Electric vehicle (EV) industry leaders in Michigan are touting the state's progress toward electrifying the transportation sector and improving infrastructure.

With funding coming in from the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, they stressed the transition is an opportunity for Michigan, as a major hub of automobile production.

Minoj Karwa, vice president of worldwide sales for Dearborn-based Rhombus Energy Solutions, said technological, supply-chain and manufacturing innovations make it a big moment for creating jobs, and for getting EVs to consumers.

"The vehicles are here. They're available. Not just high-end luxury vehicles. Not just passenger cars," Karwa observed. "We're working on providing infrastructure for transit buses, school buses, garbage trucks, last-mile delivery, off-road. It's tremendous."

Karwa was a panelist in a roundtable discussion hosted by Clean Fuels Michigan and the Environmental Defense Fund. He pointed out his company has pioneered a direct current charger known as "vehicle-to-grid," meaning unused energy when users plug in at night can be restored to the power grid for use elsewhere.

Natalia Swalnick, director of government affairs for ROUSH CleanTech in Livonia, noted as states work to transition to electric vehicles, it is also important to clean up the power grid. She noted across the U.S., some utilities are using more renewable energy, while others still rely mostly on fossil fuels.

"And an electric vehicle, the thing that's great about it is it's the only vehicle that gets cleaner the more you drive it," Swalnick emphasized. "Because more utilities across the United States do have a commitment to moving to cleaner sources of energy as time goes on."

Terry Travis, co-founder and director of EVHybridNoire, a national network of diverse electric-vehicle drivers and enthusiasts, said it is key to reach out to let the public know about EV benefits, from reduced air pollution to a smoother drive.

"There's an opportunity for folks in urban cores, and rural communities and BIPOC communities, to really be at the crosshairs of a transformational way of thinking about mobility and transportation," Travis asserted. "Hopefully, those communities will also be the beneficiaries of some of those jobs."