January 2013

...and Counting

Note: Since this blog post was published, the Obama administration has eliminated the backlog of delayed standards, issuing new standards for the 8 products referenced in the post. 

In his Inaugural Speech last week, President Obama described action to limit climate change as both a moral imperative and smart economic policy. Calling for American leadership, he said, “We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise.”

In a dose of bad news yesterday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed to settle a lawsuit brought by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) that seeks to roll back gas furnace efficiency standards. As a result, the new standards, completed in 2011 and slated to take effect this May, would be eliminated in favor of yet another round of DOE hearings and studies. The losers: consumers and the environment.

For ASAP’s first blog, I’ve scanned the appliance standards archives to bring you the top quotes of 2012. I couldn't resist adding in a favorite graphic as well.