---- MARY-c_-lANDRIElJ 

LOUISIANA 

CJanitrd ~tatrs ~mcrtc 

The Honorable Daniel B, Poneman 

Acting Secretary of Energy 

U.S. Department of Energy 

1000 Independence Ave., SW 

Washington, DC 20585 

Dear Mr. Acting Secretary: 

WASHINGTDN, DC 20510-1804 

May 10, 2013 

In December, 2012, the largest Pay- TV providers and device manufacturers announced a 

path breaking Set-Top Box Energy Conservation Agreement. By a five-year written 

commitment, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Verizon, Charter, 

AT&T, Cablevision, Bright House Networks and CenturyLink, and manufacturers Cisco, 

Motorola, EchoStar TechDologies and ARRIS have agreed to effectively and rapidly change the 

entire set-top box energy footprint in the United States. 

More than 90 million American households and 90% of Pay-TV consumers are covered 

and just the first phase of these commitments will result in annual residential electricity savings 

to consumers of $ 1.5 billion or more as these commitments are fully realized, the equivalent of 

taking about 2 million cars off the road. Additionally, some of the immediate energy savings 

will be realized by downloading new software that alters the day to day operations of set-top 

boxes that are already in the home, increasing their energy efficiency at no additional charge (but 

substantial energy savings) to consumers, 

The Voluntary Agreement and its potential benefits is threatened by the rulemaking your 

Agency has initiated a test procedure for measuring energy usage of set-top boxes employed by 

video distributors. This is the first step in a process to adopt energy usage limits, There seems to 

be no dispute that any conservation requirements adopted in such a proceeding could not take 

effect until 2018 or later. Given that the Voluntary Agreement would save consumers billions of 

dollars in the years before any regulatory approaches can take effect, I urge DOE to pause these 

proceedings and give the Voluntary Agreement a chance to work. The Department and 

consumers have much to gain - in immediate cost savings and in increased innovation and 

competition - and nothing to lose from pausing these proceedings and giving the Voluntary 

Agreement a chance to work. 

This is the kind of industry initiative we wish to encourage and support, Senators on both 

sides of the aisle have praised the cable, satellite and telephone-based television providers for 

proactively developing a consensus energy-efficiency voluntary agreement that will save their 

customers money, deliver immediate energy savings, and still protect innovation and 

competition. The adoption of voluntary agreements is an internationally-recognized approach, 

with voluntary agreements in Europe and Australia. The Department should promote and protect 

, . 
voluntary market solutions like these that are already saving consumers money and delivering 

energy savmgs. 

I hope DOE will seriously look at this industry-driven resolution to one of our nation's 

energy efficiency challenges and agree to put a hold on its rulemaking. 

With warmest regards, I am, 

MLL:c1a 

Sincerely, 

Mary L. Landrieu 

United States Senator