501(c)(3) non-profit, overseen by an independent board of directors, which included several Members of Congress. The founders of the Institute were: Anthony C. Beilenson (D-CA), George Brown, Jr. (D-CA), Bob Edgar (D-PA), Joseph L. Fisher (D-VA), S. William Green (R-NY), Gilbert Gude (R-MD), John Heinz (R-PA), James M. Jeffords (R-VT), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Paul N. McCloskey, Jr. (R-CA), Richard L. Ottinger (D-NY), Claudine Schneider (R-RI), John F. Seiberling (D-OH), Vin Weber (R-MN), Howard Wolpe (D-MI), Louis Stokes (D-OH), Augustus Hawkins (D-CA), John Chafee (R-RI), Slade Gorton (R-WA), Gary Hart (D-CO) Areas of Work Federal Policy EESI supports policy changes and strategies that will allow the United States and other countries to mitigate climate change, while also reaping the environmental, economic, national security, and public health benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. In practice, this means encouraging federal policymakers to enact legislation and policies promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency and the phasing out of harmful climate pollutants. EESI promotes policies that have bipartisan appeal in a wide range of areas, including buildings, climate change, communities, energy efficiency, industry, public health, renewable energy, rural issues, and transportation. On-Bill Financing In addition to its federal policy work, EESI launched a community-focused energy efficiency program in 2014, following several years of work on a pilot program in South Carolina (starting in 2010). The On-Bill Financing Project is an ongoing initiative aimed at helping families reduce energy use, cut energy bills, and improve home comfort through an innovative financing approach known as on-bill financing. Participating organizations provide their customers with loans for home energy upgrades, such as better insulation or more energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. These loans are then repaid through a monthly charge on the customer's utility bill. When the program is properly designed, the savings resulting from the energy efficiency upgrades outweigh the cost of the loan, and the customer saves money every month. EESI's on-bill financing initiative has expanded into a national effort to significantly improve the energy efficiency of homes served by rural electric cooperatives and public power utilities. Because the approach involves no money down (and can be designed to be cash-flow positive), it can work for low-income families that are unable to take advantage of rebates or other efficiency incentives. Briefings and Publications Briefings EESI holds between 25 and 30 Congressional briefings every year to inform Congressional staffers, the federal policymaking community, and the public at