Alliance to Save Energy applauds state legislators’ support for federal energy efficient investments

The Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) recently applauded a decision by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to adopt a resolution that urges Congress to fully fund the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) appliance and equipment standards program.

The resolution also aims to ensure that the DOE meets its statutory obligations to update energy efficiency standards regularly and to enforce manufacturer compliance with those standards.

“State legislators from red and blue states across the country have demonstrated the broad and deep bipartisan support for continuing the 40-year-plus successful track record of saving American consumers and businesses money through federal appliance and equipment efficiency standards,” ASE President Kateri Callahan said. “These state-level policy makers understand that if federal investments are cut, consumers and business across the country will be the ones to pay the price.”

The standards in question stem from the enactment of a number of provisions passed by Congress between 1975 and 2007 involving energy efficiency standards for appliances, equipment, and lighting. These standards, ASE said, protect consumers and are a cost-effective means to reduce energy and lower utility bills.

According to Callahan, American households are saving an average of $500 per year on utility bills thanks to the DOE’s work to develop, adopt, and enforce standards. The savings from the DOE program, Callahan said, would continue to mount as standards were updated and new standards were issued.

“Cutting funding to the program – which is relatively modest at $54 million in the current budget year – risks the loss to our economy of billions of dollars in future energy cost savings,” she said.

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives passed large cuts to federal energy efficiency programs. However, a Senate appropriations measure proposed to keep funding at near current levels. Additional attempts have been made by Congress members to either impede or stop enforcement of certain standards.

“We are encouraged and heartened by the NCSL resolution that signals we have an important and impactful group of allies in state houses across the country who have joined us in the clarion call for the U.S. to continue advancing energy efficiency to improve the overall energy productivity of our economy,” Callahan said.