Establishing energy efficiency standards

Establishing energy efficiency standards



Feb 2007 - Energy Secretary 
Samuel Bodman today sent legislation to Congress requesting 
authorization to speed up the process of establishing energy 
efficiency standards and bringing more efficient products to 
market sooner. 
Under the proposed legislation, establishing a streamlined 
process would be achieved through a direct final rule when 
manufacturer, stakeholder, and government consensus exists. 
More than 30 products could be included if legislation is 
enacted - refrigerators, central air conditioners, furnaces, 
water heaters, clothes washers and dishwashers; as well as 
smaller home equipment such as ceiling fans, torchiers, 
dehumidifiers, and fluorescent and incandescent lights. 
Also covered would be plumbing equipment, including 
showerheads, faucets and toilets. 
Commercial air conditioners and furnaces, water heaters, 
commercial refrigerators and freezers and ice cream freezers 
might also be included along with traffic signals and 
pedestrian control modules. 
"If enacted, this legislation would amount to real, more 
immediate energy savings for Americans," Secretary Bodman 
said. "We look forward to working with Congress and 
stakeholders to speed up the process to put into place 
mandatory standards that can really help raise the bar for 
efficiency standards." 
DOE would be able to prescribe energy efficiency standards by 
direct final rule when all relevant interests jointly 
negotiate and submit an agreed proposed standard. 
Bodman says use of the proposed expedited rulemaking authority 
would be limited. 
In response to an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, 
representatives of relevant interests including manufacturers, 
efficiency advocates, and state officials would negotiate on 
their own and submit a joint comment to the Energy Department 
proposing an energy conservation standard for a product. 
If the Energy Secretary determines that the jointly proposed 
standard meets the substantive requirements of the law for 
that product, he would be authorized to publish a notice of 
direct final rulemaking, incorporating the recommended 
standard. 
If there is no objection to the standard, the direct final 
rule would become effective 120 days after the notice is 
published. 
If "any person" files a significant adverse comment on the 
notice of proposed rulemaking, the Office of Energy Efficiency 
and Renewable Energy, EERE, would review that comment. 
The Energy Secretary would be required to withdraw the direct 
final rule and move forward under the procedures of existing 
law, "if the comments deemed by EERE were found to be 
significant and legally relevant."

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