Efficiency standards for residential clothes washers are among the many that await approval.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama stated that the administration would “not walk away from the promise of clean energy.” The president also recognized that, especially in these tough economic times, “the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.”
Obama’s speech brings to mind a pledge he made on the campaign trail, where he promised to reduce electricity demand 15 percent by 2020, saving American consumers $130 billion.
The administration has made good on parts of this pledge. In its first three years under Obama, the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued energy efficiency standards for products like refrigerators, furnaces, air conditioners, and clothes dryers that will save energy, reduce families’ utility bills, and help control greenhouse-gas emissions. This year, federal lightbulb standards went into effect, and manufacturers have risen to that challenge by rolling out lightbulbs that are 28-30 percent more efficient than the bulbs Americans have used for decades.
But there is... Read more
