Efficiency Standards: 2023 in Review

It’s once again time for everyone’s favorite end-of-year tradition: the annual-ish review of what’s what in the world of federal energy efficiency standards! Efficiency standards are a classic win-win: by reducing energy consumption they save consumers money while reducing carbon emissions and other harmful pollutants. And fortunately, we saw a lot of great successes this year. Here are some of the highlights:

• In 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) settled a lawsuit brought by NRDC and others over a failure to adhere to mandatory deadlines for reviewing energy efficiency standards. As part of that settlement, DOE agreed to review standards according to a schedule set forth in a consent decree. This year, we closely monitored DOE’s progress to make sure that they were meeting those deadlines. Fortunately, DOE has done so. (Though as of publication of this blog we are watching closely to verify that the final rule for non-weatherized and mobile home gas furnaces is published in the Federal Register on time.)
• In July, DOE proposed updated energy efficiency standards for water heaters. This would save a large amount of energy: about 27 quads of energy over 30 years (for comparison, the U.S. consumes approximately 100 quads of energy per year). This proposal closely resembles a joint recommendation which NRDC helped negotiate.
• In September, NRDC joined manufacturers and other advocates in jointly recommending updated efficiency standards for a variety of products. Specifically, the group recommended updates for refrigerators and freezers, wine and beverage chillers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, and cooking products. 
• Unfortunately, the program faced attacks in the last year too. In November, NRDC intervened to defend DOE’s new standards for commercial water heaters from a challenge by the gas industry, part of their longstanding strategy of opposing standards. Rest assured that NRDC will continue to be vigilant when it comes to attacks on this vital program.

What’s Next?

DOE’s energy efficiency standards remain a vital tool for saving money and helping the environment. In fact, given that the U.S. joined a multitude of other countries at COP28 in committing to double efforts on energy efficiency (and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030!), it’s arguably never been more important. In the year to come, we look forward to continuing to engage with the program and helping to make it all it can be. With important actions to come, including expected final rules for water heaters and other important products like commercial refrigeration equipment, the future is looking bright!