On February 26, the Department of Energy (DOE) sent a proposal to Congress that has a goal of developing energy efficiency standards for appliances and other products in a more rapid manner. The proposal would give DOE the authority to issue a "direct final rule" if stakeholders can reach an agreement on an efficiency standard for a given product. If a consensus is reached among stakeholders, but DOE receives "legally relevant adverse public comments," the new standards would not go into effect.
Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman said that the legislation would give DOE the authority to set standards more rapidly, in turn achieving energy savings more promptly. Refrigerators, central air conditioners, water heaters and commercial freezers are among the more than 30 products which could be affected by the quicker process. Bodman added that it generally takes DOE a year or more to establish efficiency standards. This rule would decrease significantly, the time it takes to set a standard.