#30

ACEEE NEWS RELEASE

COALITI PRAI SES DOE FOR FIRST STEP TOWARD SETTING @ a E

N ERGY-SAVI NG APPLIAN CE STANDARDS

But Proposed Schedule Ignores 2 Key Products, Must Be Made Binding

For further information contact:

Steven Nadel, 202-429-8873, x709

Press Contact: Glee Murray, 202-429-0063

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 1, 2006

Washington, D. C.-- A coalition of energy efficiency advocates praised the U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) today for issuing a proposed schedule for completing new energy efficiency

standards for appliances but called on the department to include home refrigerators and furnace

fans in its schedule (two products among those with the biggest potential energy savings), to

expedite nearly complete standards, and to be bound by the final schedule-by court order if

necessary.

"We are pleased that DOE has made a strong commitment to new energy-saving appliance

standards," said Steven Nadel, Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient

Economy (ACEEE). "The proposed schedule is a good start, but leaves out two of the products

which offer the biggest potential energy savings: home refrigerators and furnace fans."

Appliance and equipment efficiency standards are among the nation's most effective policies for

saving energy. According to ACEEE, existing standards, including new standards enacted by

Congress last summer as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, will save nearly 400 billion

kilowatt-hours per year by 2020, an amount equal to about 11 percent of current U.S.

consumption. At current electricity and natural gas prices, these savings in 2020 will be worth

about $34 billion. Updating all of the standards now pending at DOE could save another 180

billion kilowatt-hours per year by 2030, or about 5 percent of current electricity use, worth about

$15 billion per year at current prices.

According to the coalition, the schedule released today should be improved in three crucial areas:

1. Address home refrigerators and furnace fans, two products among those with the

largest potential energy savings.

In November 2005, ACEEE and other coalition members asked DOE to propose a schedule for

issuing all overdue standards by the end of 2010 and recommended that the standards which

would save the most energy, including residential refrigerators and residential furnace fans, be

issued first. The schedule proposed today completes the standards it addresses by mid-2011.

However, leaving out refrigerators and furnace fans seriously diminishes the energy savings

since these two products account for about one-fourth of the overall potential energy savings from

new standards.

EE-PS-2006-001 COMMENT 30

#30 

ACEEE NEWS RELEASE 

COALITION PRAISES DOE FOR FIRST STEP TOWARD SETTING 

N ENERGY=SAVING APPLIANCE STANDARDS 

But Proposed Schedule Ignores 2 Key Products, Must Be Made Binding 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

February 1, 2006 

For further information contact: 

Steven Nadel, 202-429-8873, x709 

Press Contact: Glee Murray. 202-429-0063 

Washington, D. C.-- A coalition of energy efficiency advocates praised the U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) today for issuing a proposed schedule for completing new energy efficiency 

standards for appliances but called on the department to include home refrigerators and furnace 

fans in its schedule (two products among those with the biggest potential energy savings), to 

expedite nearly complete standards, and to be bound by the final schedule-by court order if 

necessary. 

"We are pleased that DOE has made a strong commitment to new energy-saving appliance 

standards," said Steven Nadel, Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient 

Economy (ACEEE). "The proposed schedule is a good start, but leaves out two of the products 

which offer the biggest potential energy savings: home refrigerators and furnace fans." 

Appliance and equipment efficiency standards are among the nation's most effective policies for 

saving energy. According to ACEEE, existing standards, including new standards enacted by 

Congress last summer as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, will save nearly 400 billion 

kilowatt-hours per year by 2020, an amount equal to about 11 percent of current U.S. 

consumption. At current electricity and natural gas prices, these savings in 2020 will be worth 

about $34 billion. Updating all of the standards now pending at DOE could save another 180 

billion kilowatt-hours per year by 2030, or about 5 percent of current electricity use, worth about 

$15 billion per year at current prices. 

According to the coalition, the schedule released today should be improved in three crucial areas: 

1. Address home refrigerators and furnace fans, two products among those with the 

largest potential energy savings. 

In November 2005, ACEEE and other coalition members asked DOE to propose a schedule for 

issuing all overdue standards by the end of 2010 and recommended that the standards which 

would save the most energy, including residential refrigerators and residential furnace fans, be 

issued first. The schedule proposed today completes the standards it addresses by mid-2011. 

However, leaving out refrigerators and furnace fans seriously diminishes the energy savings 

since these two products account for about one-fourth of the overall potential energy savings from 

new standards. 
#30

"By failing to say when they will deal with the new standards for home refrigerators and furnace

fans, DOE has left a gaping hole in its schedule," said Nadel.

The schedule also fails to address commercial boilers, certain commercial water heaters, and

some types of small motors. It is unclear whether some types of commercial lighting will be

addressed.

2. DOE schedule must be made binding.

In recent years, although DOE has established schedules for its top priority rulemakings, it has

repeatedly missed the self-imposed deadlines.

"DOE's failure to live up to previous schedules has eroded confidence in its ability to meet

deadlines," said Andrew deLaski, Executive Director of the Appliance Standards Awareness

Project. "The best way to make a DOE schedule binding is to have a court enforce it."

Such a court order could materialize. Last fall, 15 states, led by New York Attorney General Eliot

Spitzer, and several public interest groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and

National Consumer Law Center brought suit over the missed deadlines, seeking a court-imposed

and monitored schedule. That litigation is still pending. In addition, Congress, in the 2005 energy

law, required that DOE provide a plan for getting current on all required standards and provide

semi-annual reports to Congress on its progress toward meeting the deadlines. DOE provided its

first report to Congress today. Furthermore, Congress' Government Accountability Office is

currently investigating the causes for the rulemaking delays.

3. DOE should expedite two standards which are far-advanced in the rulemaking process.

DOE has been working on thermal efficiency standards for home furnaces and boilers and

electric distribution transformers since 2001 and issued Advanced Notices of Proposed

Rulemakings in summer 2004. By Congressional deadline, these standards were due in 1994

and 1996, respectively. Each year of delay locks in enormous long-term energy waste since

products sold and installed can last two-to-three decades. According to the schedule issued

today, these standards would be completed in fall 2007. By expediting these standards now, the

Department could issue final standards by the end of 2006.

About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to

advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For information

about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, contact ACEEE, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Suite 801,

Washington, D.C. 20036-5525 or visit httn://aceee.ora

EE-PS-2006-001 COMMENT 30

#30 

"By failing to say when they will deal with the new standards for home refrigerators and furnace 

fans, DOE has left a gaping hole in its schedule," said Nadel. 

The schedule also fails to address commercial boilers, certain commercial water heaters, and 

some types of small motors. It is unclear whether some types of commercial lighting will be 

addressed. 

2. DOE schedule must be made binding. 

In recent years, although DOE has established schedules for its top priority rulemakings, it has 

repeatedly missed the self-imposed deadlines. 

"DOE's failure to live up to previous schedules has eroded confidence in its ability to meet 

deadlines," said Andrew deLaski, Executive Director of the Appliance Standards Awareness 

Project. "The best way to make a DOE schedule binding is to have a court enforce it." 

Such a court order could materialize. Last fall, 15 states, led by New York Attorney General Eliot 

Spitzer, and several public interest groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council and 

National Consumer Law Center brought suit over the missed deadlines, seeking a court-imposed 

and monitored schedule. That litigation is still pending. In addition, Congress, in the 2005 energy 

law, required that DOE provide a plan for getting current on all required standards and provide 

semi-annual reports to Congress on its progress toward meeting the deadlines. DOE provided its 

first report to Congress today. Furthermore, Congress' Government Accountability Office is 

currently investigating the causes for the rulemaking delays. 

3. DOE should expedite two standards which are far-advanced in the rulemaking process. 

DOE has been working on thermal efficiency standards for home furnaces and boilers and 

electric distribution transformers since 2001 and issued Advanced Notices of Proposed 

Rulemakings in summer 2004. By Congressional deadline, these standards were due in 1994 

and 1996, respectively. Each year of delay locks in enormous long-term energy waste since 

products sold and installed can last two-to-three decades. According to the schedule issued 

today, these standards would be completed in fall 2007. By expediting these standards now, the 

Department could issue final standards by the end of 2006. 

##### 

About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to 

advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For information 

about ACEEE and its programs. publications, and conferences, contact ACEEE, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N. w.. Suite 801. 

Washington, D.C. 20036-5525 or visit http://aceee.orq