Attorney General Tong Helps Secure New Federal Energy Standards for American Families

Press Releases

09/21/2022

Attorney General Tong Helps Secure New Federal Energy Standards for American Families

New Standards Will Save Billions of Dollars for Families Nationwide and Help Protect the Planet

(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong today
announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) committing DOE
to a new timetable for updating energy efficiency standards for 20 categories
of common consumer products and commercial equipment. The impacted products and
equipment range from residential furnaces to laundry machines to electric
motors.

Attorney General Tong joins a coalition of 17 states, the
District of Columbia, and the City of New York in today’s agreement, which
resolves a complaint the coalition filed against DOE in 2020. The complaint
alleged DOE failed to comply with deadlines for updating energy efficiency
standards for a range of product categories set by the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA).

“No one wants to waste energy and money on inefficient and
ineffective appliances. Modernizing energy standards is a huge win for
consumers and our climate—with the potential to avoid over $600 billion in
wasted energy bills by 2050, and over 90 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
emissions annually by 2040,” said Attorney General Tong.

DOE’s energy efficiency standards currently cover more than
60 product categories. Nationwide, these products together use about 90 percent
of the total amount of energy used in homes, 60 percent of the total amount
energy used in commercial buildings, and 30 percent of the total amount of
energy used in industrial facilities.

The EPCA requires DOE to periodically review and revise
these efficiency standards to ensure they are set at the maximum, technically
feasible and cost-effective efficiency level in order to save energy and reduce
consumer and business utility costs. In 2020, the coalition filed a complaint
in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York claiming DOE
had missed EPCA deadlines for review and revision of efficiency standards for
multiple product categories. In the filing, the coalition alleged that in
failing to meet deadlines, DOE deprived American families of the benefits of
lower energy bills, a more reliable electricity grid, and reduced emissions of
dangerous air pollutants that contribute to climate change and harm public
health.

Joining Tong in today’s agreement are the attorneys general
of California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the City of New
York.

“This settlement is a triumph for consumers and the
environment. It will jumpstart DOE review of efficiency standards poised to
save $650 billion in utility bills and avoid the release of, at least, nearly a
billion metric tons of climate-warming carbon pollution by 2050,” said Joe
Vukovich, energy efficiency advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The technology exists to make consumer products and
commercial equipment incredibly energy efficient, and it is the responsibility
of the DOE to hold manufacturers accountable to meeting the highest possible
standards. This settlement will help us meet climate goals but also help
American families save money on their energy bills and create sustainable
manufacturing jobs for the future. The strongest possible energy efficiency
standards will also ensure Americans keep their lights on and their heat or air
conditioning on when the weather turns extreme by not overtaxing our electrical
system. After all, heat waves and strong storms are only getting more common in
the face of climate change – a crisis we must do everything we can to address
with all the tools we have at our disposal,” said Jessica Tritsch, building
electrification campaign director at the Sierra Club.

“This agreement is essential for catching up on missed
deadlines as quickly as possible in order for the incredible consumer,
economic, public health and environmental benefits of updated standards to be
realized,” said Richard Eckman, energy advocate at the Consumer Federation
of America. “Now more than ever, consumers can use the additional
pocketbook savings that updated efficiency standards will provide in the
billions annually thanks to the increased energy efficiency of common household
appliances. The agreement is also crucial in order to prevent millions of
metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change from
being emitted. We’re looking forward to working with DOE in moving forward with
updates to appliance efficiency standards.”

“This agreement will conserve energy and save consumers
money when they use everyday appliances,” said Howard Crystal, legal
director at the Center for Biological Diversity’s Energy Justice Program.
“Energy efficiency is critical to addressing the climate emergency and ensuring
a livable planet, even if it doesn’t get as much attention as other efforts.
We’re pleased the department will finally move forward with these commonsense
standards.”

“We applaud this settlement, which will save huge
amounts of energy and keep money in the pockets of consumers across America,
including the 85,000 low-income public housing tenants Mass Union represents,”
said Jack Cooper, executive director at the Massachusetts Union of Public
Housing Tenants.

Assistant Attorney General William E. Dornbos, former
Assistant Attorney General Bob Snook, and Chief of the Environment Section
Matthew Levine assisted the Attorney General with this matter.

Twitter: @AGWilliamTong

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