Page - 43 - in Water, Energy, and Environment - A Primer

5.5.4 Accelerating implementation Given all the positive attributes of improved energy efficiency, how does one accelerate its implementation? In the aftermath of the 1973–74 OPEC Oil Embargo, which brought energy supply and demand issues to the fore in the US and other nations, theUSCongress in 1975 passed theEnergyPolicy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which was later amended and updated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This legislation, together with the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, established a regulatory framework that setsminimum efficiency standards for a wide range of appliances and equipment used in residential and commercial buildings. The EPCA also set corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for new automobile and light-duty van fleets, and introduced energy efficiency labels to assist consumers in their purchasingdecisions. Currently,DOEefficiency standards are in place, or in active development, for approximately sixty categories of product, as shown in Figure 5.2. DOE is required to set the standards at ‘levels that achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified.’ (25) Through the regulations issued by DOE, they have proven to be one of themost impactful energy-saving policies to date. They help ensure that all regulated products meet minimum performancestandardsandkeep low-quality, inefficientproducts out of the marketplace. Several US States have adopted their ownappliance andequipment standards for products that arenot already covered by a federal standard. These state standards maybeenforcedupuntil the federal standards take effect. States that have not set product standards are subject to the applicable federal standards immediately. Promotion of energy efficiency standards is also the coremission ofCLASP (26), which began Energyoptions 43