The Best Quotes of 2013 - Appliance Standards Style

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:

1. “In a new analysis completed this week by ASAP and ACEEE, we found that the delays to date for eight overdue standards will result in about 40 million metric tons of excess carbon dioxide emissions. Consumers and businesses will also lose—about $3.7 billion so far.”

Andrew deLaski, Executive Director, ASAP in a blog post describing the cost of delayed standards (January 30, 2013)

2. “Everyone knows that replacing your old appliance with a new, more efficient model will save you money on your utility bills. What this report shows is that consumers haven’t had to sacrifice good performance or new features in exchange for improved efficiency.”

Steve Nadel, Executive Director, ACEEE, referring to the ACEEE/ASAP report: Better Appliances: An Analysis of Performance, Features, and Price as Efficiency has Improved (May 21, 2013)

3. "We recognize that there is a backlog of appliance standards that are waiting to be approved and implemented. I can assure you that I will certainly be turning my attention to this logjam very early on to see what we can get moved out.”

Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, from a speech at the Energy Efficiency Global Forum on the day of his confirmation as secretary (May, 21, 2013)

4. “Efficiency standards for appliances and federal buildings set in the first and second terms combined will reduce carbon pollution by at least 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030, equivalent to nearly one-half of the carbon pollution from the entire U.S. energy sector for one year---while continuing to cut families’ energy bills.” 

From President Obama’s Climate Plan (page 9) and infographic (June 25, 2013)

5. “Energy costs drain $4600 from household budgets annually; standards could save nearly $1000.”

From the Consumer Federation of America report by Mark Cooper, Director of Research: Energy Efficiency Performance Standards: The Cornerstone of Consumer-Friendly Energy Policy (October 29, 2013)

6. “Electric motors are about as common in US industry and commercial buildings as roast turkey at Thanksgiving.”

Andrew deLaski, Executive Director, ASAP in a blog post commenting on DOE’s proposed electric motor standards, which will be among the biggest energy-savers in the history of DOE-established standards (November 25, 2013)

7. “In fact, these [light bulb] standards requiring improved efficiency have led to more lighting innovation over the past five years than we saw during the 100-plus years since Edison invented the light bulb!”

Noah Horowitz, Senior Scientist and the Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency, NRDC in a blog post commenting on the January 1, 2014 final phase in date for light bulb standards (December 17, 2013) 

8.  “In 2011, I urged the CEOs of every major television service provider to work together to introduce more energy efficient set-top boxes.  At the time, set-top boxes were costing Americans $3 billion in electricity charges each year—with $2 billion wasted when televisions were not being used.  Today’s voluntary announcement demonstrates the television industry took this matter seriously, and I commend industry and efficiency advocates for agreeing to make 90 percent of all set-top boxes as efficient as today’s most energy efficient boxes by 2017.  This will cut box energy consumption by 10-45 percent and save consumers $1 billion per year.  To put that in perspective, this amount of energy savings would eliminate the need for three power plants and prevent 5 million tons of C02 emissions per year.”

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) in reference to the non-regulatory consensus agreement for pay-TV set-top boxes (December 23, 2013)

Here’s to even more energy efficiency progress in 2014!