January 2014

New national standards for metal halide light fixtures announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) today take another important step toward curbing energy waste and will save businesses and towns money on their utility bills. The new standards also mark progress toward meeting President Obama’s ambitious goal of saving 3 billion metric tons of CO2 from new appliance standards, as laid out in the Climate Action Plan.  But stronger standards could have saved even more.

What a difference a year makes! At the start of 2013, we were tracking the amount of savings lost from standards which were delayed at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). At the start of 2014, we are tracking progress toward President Obama’s ambitious goal of 3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide reductions from standards by 2030. Here are eight quotes that capture the start, finish, and the in-between of 2013: