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How many administrations does it take to change a light bulb?  Try… seven.

Pres. Obama yesterday ordered the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to set standards to improve the energy efficiency of bulbs and other power-sucking household appliances, including air conditioners, ovens and dishwashers.

“This will save consumers money, this will spur innovation, and this will conserve tremendous amounts of energy,” Obama told department staffers. “We'll save through these simple steps over the next 30 years the amount of energy produced over a two-year period by all the coal-fired power plants in America.”

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) required DoE to establish efficiency standards for household appliances by a series of dates in 1988, 1989 and 1992. The agency missed the deadline for 22 categories of products, including residential furnaces, dishwashers and microwaves and four years ago, 14 states and advocacy groups sued DoE for dragging its feet. The agency entered into a consent decree with the states in November 2006, agreeing to publish final rules on 22 categories of products by June 2011. So far, it’s only set limits for seven.

Obama's order requires the agency to set tougher rules by this summer on fluorescent and reflector lamps, microwaves, gas ovens and stoves, drink vending machines and commercial boilers and air conditioners.  Energy officials must establish new efficiency standards by 2011 for residential furnaces, dishwashers, pool heaters, distribution transformers, refrigerators, washing machines and commercial icemakers.

"Far and away, the biggest potential energy savers in this package are the standards due by June 30 for linear fluorescent lamps and reflector lamps," says Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Boston-based Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP), which lobbies for improved energy efficiency.

The Bush administration proposed bulb efficiency standards just days before Obama took office designed to save by 2042 nearly $40 billion in energy bills, hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide, hundreds of kilotons of nitrous oxide and tons of mercury, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The group says the amount of energy saved would be enough to power 101 million homes—but it and ASAP are pushing for further restrictions that they say would save more money and energy and lead to steeper emission cuts.

Image © iStockphoto/sweetym

8 Comments

1. 1. JamesDavis 07:21 AM 2/7/09

   When everybody changes their old light bulbs to the new energy saving bulbs the utility companies increases their rates above the saved energy, so what's the point. You have to cap these utility companies rate increases or you are wasting your time in trying to save consumers money.

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2. 2. Sparkie 12:31 PM 2/7/09

   That's because it not totally about you saving money. It's saving energy to reduce the GREEN HOUSE GASES that damage all life on earth. Including You.

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3. 3. Rob Hooft in reply to JamesDavis 04:34 PM 2/9/09

   @JamesDavis: I do not understand how reducing the demand for energy allows the utility companies to increase their prices? This does not sound like the functioning of a proper economic market to me!

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4. 4. eco-steve 06:39 PM 2/9/09

   Easy savings on energy : Limit road speeds to 80 mph. (air resistance increases with the cube of speed). This will also reduce road injuries dramatically, saving huge medical expenses to the state. Wear warm clothing indoors, allowing savings of 25 to 30% on heating bills. Use all possible electrical apparatus at night, allowing power stations to be shut down. Turn your computer screen off if you do not look at it. etc. etc. Buy a book on green living...

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5. 5. mr_enerstat 11:47 PM 2/9/09

   The real savings for homeowners, utilities and the environment will be realized when utilities implement true Demand Response programs. These programs are in pilot tests around the country and have already shown the substantial savings that can be realized. Everbody wins with Demand Response.

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6. 6. Rob Hooft 01:03 AM 2/10/09

   @eco-steve: I agree with you on most points. It is possible to live on less energy without compromising quality.
   
   But: 80mph? The current limits in most places are significantly lower than that?
   Air resistance increases with the square of speed. The power needed to overcome them with the cube, but that third power is offset by the time needed for the trip.
   

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