October 11, 2018
by Mark Everson, Former IRS Commisioner & alliantgroup Vice Chairman
Published in The Hill

After almost a year without a confirmed IRS commissioner, on October 1 Charles Rettig took office as the nation’s 49th commissioner of Internal Revenue. The post dates to the Civil War and the agency has had its ups and downs over the decades. Recent years have been tough. Mr. Rettig finds himself with both challenges and opportunities; a good start will be critical. Having held the job as the 46th commissioner, here are a few observations.

The sine qua non of the new commissioner’s tenure will be restoration of a constructive relationship with the Congress. Even in the best of times the service is never popular. Nobody heads back home to campaign for reelection with the pitch, “Vote for me. I got more money for the IRS.” Still, the […]

October 9, 2018
by Andy Gerstenhaber, alliantgroup Director of Energy Incentives
Published in Construction Business Owner

Looking at the numbers, it is safe to say there have been major strides made in the area of energy efficiency in recent years. According to the United States Green Building Council, the green building sector is set to outpace overall construction growth and is anticipated to contribute 1.1 million jobs and $75.6 billion in wages to the U.S. by the end of the year.

In addition to green construction’s direct benefits to the economy, the U.S. Green Building Council further notes its direct benefits to the tenants of those structures, with energy-efficient buildings lowering the overall daily costs of building operations year-over-year. LEED buildings report almost 20-percent-lower maintenance costs than typical commercial buildings, and green building retrofit projects typically decrease operation costs by almost 10 percent in […]