2007 Federal Energy
Legislation
New!
Dec. 14, 2007. Preliminary
estimates of energy and carbon savings from energy bill passed in
Senate.
In 2007, the
new Congress put energy legislation high on its agenda, with final
legislation passing just before Christmas, 2007. The new legislation
emphasizes energy efficiency and was driven by high energy prices,
growing concerns about global warming, and a change in leadership
in the House and Senate after the 2006 elections. This new
law was enacted only two years after Congress passed the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (Click here
for more information on the 2005 law).
Major efficiency
provisions in the new 2007 law are as follows:
- Corporate
Average Fuel Economy Standards. The legislation
calls for a 35 mpg CAFE standard for cars and light trucks by
2020, with “maximum feasible” increases beyond this
date. The provision also sets in motion the first fuel economy
standards for heavy-duty trucks. The final bill also gradually
phases out extra fuel economy credits for dual fuel vehicles,
with the credits ending in 2020.
- Appliance
and Equipment Efficiency Standards. The new law contains
many provisions setting new minimum efficiency standards based
on consensus agreements between industry and ACEEE. Products
for which standards are set include:
- Appliances:
dishwashers and dehumidifiers (updates to current federal
standard)
- Residential
boilers (update to current federal standard)
- Electric
motors (updates current standards and enacts new standards
on many special- and definite-purpose motors as well as motors
of 201-400 horsepower) See
ACEEE's 2007 report on this provision
- Incandescent
reflector lamps: applies 1992 standards to BR, ER and R20
lamps (categories previously exempted from 1992 law)
- External
power supplies (federalizes standard adopted by California
and other states)
- Metal
halide lamp fixtures (based on standard adopted by California
and other states)
- Walk-in
coolers and freezers (based on California, Rhode Island and
Maryland standards)
In addition, the law directs DOE to conduct new rulemakings
on residential refrigerators and clothes washers, on standby
power use of currently regulated appliances, and to revise all
standards and test procedures on a regular schedule. The
bill also allows DOE to expedite rulemakings in response to
broad consensus agreements on recommended new standards.
More detailed summary of standards provisions in the new bill
- Lamp
Efficiency Standards. The bill sets lamp efficiency
standards for common light bulbs, requiring them to use about
20-30% less energy than present incandescent bulbs by 2012-2014
(phasing in over several years) and requiring a DOE rulemaking
to set standards that will reduce energy use to no more than about
65% of current lamp use by 2020. The initial targets
can be met by advanced incandescent lamps the major manufacturers
are just introducing to the market using halogen capsules with
infrared reflective coatings. The longer-term targets will
likely be met by compact fluorescent lamps and other advanced
technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and very advanced
incandescent lamps now in development.
- Regional
Standards. The legislation allows DOE to set up
to one regional standard for heating products and two regional
standards for cooling products, in addition to the main national
standard. The intent is to better accommodate the range
of climatic conditions across the U.S. The provision only
allows regional standards if economically justified, including
consideration of economic impacts on manufacturers, distributors
and contractors.
- Industrial
Efficiency Programs. The bill updates the authorization
for DOE's industrial program to reflect challenges facing U.S.
manufacturing. In particular, the bill addresses the need to develop
new manufacturing processes and the ability to make use of alternative
feed stocks in response to the increasing cost and scarcity of
energy resources.
- Combined
Heat and Power, Recycled Energy and District Energy.
The bill contains important new provisions that promote combined
heat and power (CHP), recycled energy and district energy systems.
Provisions:
- Direct
the quantification of the potential for recycled energy
- Authorize
the expansion of Regional CHP Assistance Centers
- Encourage
the rationalization of utility grid access for CHP and recycled
energy systems
- Authorize
a new generation of energy efficiency programs for public
buildings with funding through a grant program for construction
of infrastructure including CHP, recycled energy and district
energy systems.
- Commercial
Building Initiative. Provision authorizes a Commercial
Building Initiative (CBI) combining research, development, and
deployment, to be run by DOE with input from an industry consortium.
The goal of the initiative is for all new commercial buildings
to use zero energy on net by 2030 (i.e. they produce as much energy
as they use) and all existing buildings to meet the same goal
by 2050. The provision authorizes substantial funding but
it's unclear how much funding the program will get through the
Congressional appropriations process.
Several additional
provisions were enacted by the House or Senate but did not make
it into the new law. Click here for
more information on these provisions, many of which are likely to
be considered by Congress in the future.
The following
historic documents on the 2007 legislation may be accessed:
For more information
contact:
Steven Nadel, Executive Director
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