Bush Air Conditioner Standard Is Rejected (Clinton standard restored)

[papau]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3622767,00.html

Bush Air Conditioner Standard Is Rejected

Wednesday January 14, 2004 9:31 AM
By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal court rebuked the Bush administration and ordered it to restore Clinton administration efficiency standards that would make air conditioners use less energy and save consumers money on their electricity bills.

The court said Tuesday the Energy Department violated the intent of Congress when it rolled back the regulation that required a 30 percent increase in energy efficiency in all new home central air conditioners beginning in 2006.

The department had replaced the regulation with a more modest one that would require a 20 percent increase, arguing that to go further would make air conditioning units too expensive and even prevent poor people from buying air conditioners.

Environmentalists and energy efficiency experts rejected those claims. The Natural Resources Defense Council, consumer groups and attorneys general from 10 states filed a lawsuit to challenge the decision.

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York ruled that the so-called SEER-13 standard issued by the Clinton administration was valid and could not legally be lowered, even though the standard had not yet gone into effect. <snip>

The more stringent standard will save 14,500 megawatts during peak summer demand periods, enough to replace 50 power plants, said Andrew DeLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, a group advocating energy efficiency improvements.

[Leilani]

1. one battle won

in a very long war..

[benfranklin1776]

2. Kudos to the judiciary.

Stopping the snowmobile rule, the gutting of the clean air act and now upholding this rule.
They are the only branch of the federal government left currently protecting the environment.
It underscores the importance of keeping radical right wingers off the bench.

[ellie]

3. Wasn't smirky supposed to start

governing from the middle, according to Molly Ivins? He starts out real conservative, alienates everyone, and then goes back to the middle to win them back. That must be what the Mars mission is about.

Regarding air conditioners: I work peripherally in this business and consumers won't buy A/C units that don't save them money through their electric bills. Another attempt by idiot ass to side with corporations at the expense of the average American.

[Red State Rebel]

4. I see a different point of view...

We have a Heating & Air Conditioning Business - the Manufacturers will not suffer from this, the consumers will. The price for units will skyrocket when this comes into effect.

Given a choice, customers will 9 times out of 10 go for the less expensive unit as opposed to one that costs $200 - $300 more when you aren't going to see a drastic drop in your utility bills. I deal with this personally every day.

I agree we need to make sure the air is clean, but I wish there were a more consumer friendly way of doing it.