Policy and Legal

The NAM and six allied manufacturing groups have urged Congress to modernize the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

What’s going on: “After years of dramatic improvements in appliance efficiency, additional, meaningful, cost-justified energy savings are unlikely under EPCA’s current structure without forcing manufacturers and consumers to make tradeoffs in the form of features, performance and product availability,” the business associations said.

• EPCA created, among other things, the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products, which sets minimum efficiency standards for common household appliances and equipment.
• The NAM was joined in this advocacy effort by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, the Air Movement and Control Association International, the American Lighting Association, the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

Why it’s important: Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing to discuss stricter EPCA efficiency standards enacted during the Biden administration.

• The joint release issued by the NAM and other manufacturing groups called on the committee to help ensure that businesses and consumers can choose the appliances and equipment they want and that investments made by manufacturers are not undermined.

Next steps: Yesterday’s hearing is expected to act as a precursor to legislative action that the committee will consider in the coming weeks.

The NAM says: “Manufacturers, including producers and users of energy, are committed to reducing our energy intensity and producing more energy-efficient consumer products to keep America leading in innovation, help reduce energy demand, save money and lower costs,” the NAM told the Department of Energy earlier this year. “Manufacturers strongly support sensible efficiency and waste-reduction measures across all sectors of the economy.”

• “The NAM supports joint government–industry initiatives that enhance private-sector investment in public building efficiency improvement projects, policies that strengthen and harmonize standards for existing commercial, industrial and residential buildings and policies that recognize the incredible efficiency improvements manufacturers have made to products already.”