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How the National Energy Efficiency Program Can Continue to Drive Energy, Economic, and Environmental Benefits

DOE estimates that existing efficiency standards completed through February 2016 will, on a cumulative basis between NAECA’s 1987 enactment and 2030, save 132 quadrillion Btus (quads) of energy, save consumers nearly $2 trillion on their utility bills, and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 7 billion metric tons. For comparison, the entire US economy uses about 100 quads per year.

Given the successful history of standards, ASAP and ACEEE launched this project to explore the future potential for national efficiency standards. With a new administration taking office in January 2017, we sought to answer two key research questions:

  • With so much progress to date, especially over the past eight years, what is the potential for future savings with updates to existing standards?
  • What strategies could be employed to further increase savings available from standards?

In order to answer the first question, we developed product-by-product estimates of the potential future savings from the next update due after January 2017 (i.e., after the inauguration of the next president). We were able to develop estimates for 45 of the roughly 55 products currently included in the national standards program.

Part II of this report provides five recommendations for DOE actions that could increase the savings potential from future DOE standards. These recommendations take into account recent trends and approaches that have worked in the past to increase savings.