WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Energy (DOE) today released a schedule for setting new appliance efficiency standards. The five-year plan outlines how DOE will work with  all of its partners to address the appliance standards rulemaking backlog and meet all of the statutory requirements established in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005).

 

“Improved efficiency saves Americans money and energy,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Douglas L. Faulkner.  “This aggressive schedule shows our commitment to greater efficiency by issuing new standards for all products in the backlog by June of 2011, just five years from now.” 

 

A number of statutes require DOE to set appliance efficiency standards at levels that achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified. Standards already in place for residential products are expected to save consumers nearly $93 billion, by 2020; and enough energy to operate all U.S. homes for approximately two years.

 

In addition to products required under EPACT 2005, the plan provides for the issuance of one standard for each of the 18 products currently in the backlog, such as residential furnaces and boilers; mobile home furnaces; small furnaces; residential water heaters; direct heating equipment; pool heaters; electric motors; incandescent reflector lamps; fluorescent lamps; incandescent general service lamps; fluorescent lamp ballasts; residential dishwashers; ranges and ovens; microwave ovens; residential clothes dryers; room air conditioners; packaged terminal air conditioners and heat pumps; residential central air conditioners.

 

The Department is aggressively working to speed up the process of developing and issuing appliance standards rulemakings through process improvements such as bundling multiple products into single rulemakings, shortening the time to complete successive rulemakings, and other techniques.

 

The schedule also provides for issuance of a number of on-going test procedures and new test procedures required by EPACT 2005.

 

To view the entire schedule visit www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/