The California Energy Commission approved new regulations that will make appliances sold in the state the most energy efficient in the nation. "The result of today's 5-0 vote will be to slow electricity demand in the state and save approximately 100 megawatts of generating capacity every year," said Energy Commissioner Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, presiding member of the Commission's Efficiency Committee. "The energy savings are cumulative, so that in 10 years, because of today's new appliance regulations, we can avoid building three large power plants that would have to generate as much as 1,000 megawatts."
The standards regulate appliances such as incandescent lamps; audio and video equipment; residential pool pumps and portable electric spas; evaporative coolers; ceiling fans, exhaust fans and whole house fans; commercial ice makers, refrigerators and freezers; vending machines; commercial hot food holding cabinets and water dispensers, among others. The regulations go into effect on a staggered schedule beginning in January 2006.
The new regulations also cover external power supplies, the small transformers that are used to power answering machines, cell and cordless phones, and a host of other small consumer products and small appliances. These devices draw electricity whenever they are plugged in to an electrical socket, even if the product they are powering is not in use.
"Power supplies can waste surprisingly large amounts of electricity around the house," said Energy Commissioner Arthur Rosenfeld. "Informally known as 'energy vampires,' their efficiency varies greatly. Some models draw only one-fifth of a watt to do the same job other models use three watts to do. These new regulations will prevent that sort of needless waste."
The Energy Commission estimates that the average California household has between 10 and 20 external power supplies that cost the homeowner as much as $75 in wasted electricity each year.
States are allowed to regulate appliances not covered by national standards. The federal government has already adopted energy efficiency standards for residential refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers and other appliances once covered by state regulation. None of the appliances in today's ruling are federally regulated.
Utilities and environmental groups praised the standards.
Loading...