Appliance Efficiency Standards

[MATT FREEDMAN <freedman@citizen.org>]

  **THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATIVE ALERT COMES FROM THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR AN 
  ENERGY-EFFICIENT ECONOMY**
  
  Moratorium on New Energy Efficiency Standards Becomes Law
  
  The Clinton Administration was unable to persuade Congressional negotiators
  to drop their proposed moratorium on the issuance of any new energy 
  efficiency
  standards during Fiscal 1996.  Thus, the prohibition against issuing new 
  standards -- including a new efficiency standard for refrigerators that was 
  
  ready to be issued -- took effect Friday, April 26, when President Clinton 
  signed HR 3019, the Omnibus Appropriations Act for FY 1996, into law.  It 
  is 
  estimated that consumers lose $2 million per day for every day the new 
  refrigerator standard is delayed. 
  
  Notwithstanding the arguments made last summer and fall that a one-year 
  "time out" 
  was all that was needed if DOE moved to remedy problems with the 
  administration 
  of the standard-setting process, some manufacturers are now emboldened to 
  seek 
  an additional moratorium on the next appropriations bill, the Interior and 
  Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal 1997.  Clearly, some of 
  these 
  companies are attempting not only to block new rules, but to persuade 
  Congress 
  to terminate the appliance efficiency standards program altogether.
  
  Although keenly disappointed with the enactment of the moratorium for FY 
  96, 
  we must turn our attention immediately to the efforts needed to block any 
  FY 97 
  moratorium, which if we are successful will allow DOE to issue the 
  refrigerator 
  rule on October 1, 1996. Listed below are names, phone numbers, and e-mail 
  addresses (where available) for the chairmen and ranking minority members 
  of 
  the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and their Subcommittees on 
  Interior and Related Agencies.  In your own words, let them know that a 
  one-year 
  hiatus was more than enough, and urge that the FY 97 Interior 
  Appropriations 
  Bill contain no limitations on the authority of DOE to issue new energy 
  efficiency standards.  The bill will originate in the House, and 
  subcommittee 
  action is expected before the end of May.
  
  With your help, this assault on a decade of progress in appliance energy 
  efficiency may yet be turned back.
  
  PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND URGE THEM TO SUPPORT DOE'S 
  APPLIANCE 
  EFFICIENCY STANDARDS PROGRAM.  ALSO, PASS THIS MESSAGE ON TO THE FOLLOWING 
  MEMBERS:
  
  The Hon. Bob Livingston                         The Hon. David R. Obey
  Chairman                                        Ranking Minority Member
  Committee on Appropriations                     Committee on Appropriations
  US House of Representatives                     US House of Representatives
  Washington, DC  20515                           Washington, DC  20515
  Phone 202-225-2771   				Phone 202-225-3481
  FAX  202-225-3598          			FAX 202-225-9476
  
  
  The Hon. Ralph Regula                           The Hon. Sidney R. Yates
  Chairman                                        Ranking Minority Member
  Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies   Subcommittee on Interior
  Committee on Appropriations                     Committee on Appropriations
  US House of Representatives                  	US House of Representatives
  Washington, DC  20515                           Washington, DC  20515
  Phone 202-225-3081   				Phone 202-225-3481
  FAX  202-225-3598         			FAX 202-225-3493
  
  
  The Hon. Mark O. Hatfield Chairman              The Hon. Robert C. Byrd
  Committee on Appropriations                     Ranking Minority Member
  United States Senate                            Committee on Appropriations
  Washington, DC  20510                           United States Senate
  Phone 202-224-3471   FAX  202-228-0542          Washington, DC  20510
                                                  Phone 202-224-7200
  						FAX 202-228-0002
  
  The Hon. Slade Gorton
  Chairman
  Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
  Committee on Appropriations
  United States Senate
  Washington, DC  20510
  Phone 202-224-7233   FAX  202-224-0542
  Senator_Gorton@gorton.senate.gov
  
  Note: Senator Byrd is also Ranking Minority Member of the Interior 
  Subcommittee.
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  Matthew Freedman               \\\
  Public Citizen                (+ +)   freedman@citizen.org
  Critical Mass Energy Project    *
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