The US Department of Energy has indefinitely deferred action on 20 appliance energy efficiency standards, based on yesterday’s Fall 2017 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. By deciding not to honor statutory deadlines for these standards, DOE is jeopardizing billions of dollars in savings for American families and businesses, while also creating uncertainty for manufacturers and markets.  
            
The efficiency standards completed through 2016 are already saving the average American household about $500 on its energy bills each year, and by 2035, the required updates could save consumers and businesses another $43 billion annually.
Periodically updating these standards, as required by law, guarantees that all consumers gain the benefits of technological progress that deliver dramatic energy savings. In order to ensure additional energy savings for families and businesses, as well as continued reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, DOE must fulfill its legal obligations to update energy efficiency standards.

The DOE will hold a meeting next Tuesday (January 9) to launch the discussion about changes to its longtime standards-setting process.