Bluegrass rural pac issued the following announcement on Sept 04.
The Department of Energy finalized a rule Wednesday that will prevent Obama-era efficiency standards for commonly used light bulbs from being implemented. The decision was cheered by lighting manufacturers that have spent the last two years lobbying Congress and the DOE to reverse new energy efficiency standards that would have affected billions of light bulbs sold in the U.S. The stricter standards were set to go into effect in January 2020.Environmental groups, on the other hand, expressed disappointment and argued the decision would worsen the climate by enabling the sale of inefficient bulbs that contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association applauded the Trump administration’s new rules in a statement Wednesday, arguing the Obama-era efficiency standards were not feasible for manufacturers producing certain kinds of lamps. It said the rule change “will not impact the market’s continuing, rapid adoption of energy-saving lighting in the next few years.”The trade group, which represents major lighting manufacturers such as General Electric and Acuity Brands, fiercely fought new DOE efficiency standards when they were finalized on President Barack Obama’s final full day in office. It spent $5 million on lobbying since the start of 2017 and dispatched dozens of revolving door lobbyists. The Trump administration cited statistics from lighting trade groups in its final rule, noting that the Obama-era regulations would place costs on retailers that have to replace their outdated bulbs. DOE argued in its new rule that the new efficiency standards were not consistent with a 2007 law that requires the agency to phase out inefficient bulbs by 2020.The environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council, which spent $2.4 million on lobbying since 2017, disagreed. The group said in a press release it will “explore all options, including litigation, to defend these critically important lighting efficiency standards.”
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The new DOE rule is a win for light bulb manufacturers. But the lighting trade group, along with prominent air conditioning and appliance manufacturers, are urging Congress to take the next step and amend the 1975 law that requires DOE to periodically craft new efficiency standards. The American Lighting Association, a lighting industry trade association that does not deploy registered lobbyists, flew its members to Washington in May to push for changes to “modernize” the 43-year-old Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The group said it had lunch with Daniel Simmons, who oversees the DOE’s energy efficiency programs. Simmons previously worked for the conservative Institute for Energy Research, a nonprofit that fights renewable energy efforts.The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has called on lawmakers to change the act by excluding some products that already operate at high efficiency and to require DOE to consider the impact of new regulations. Representing industry giants such as LG Electronics and GE Appliances, the trade group is on pace to break its own lobbying spending record in 2019, shelling out $675,000 through the first half of the year.“More stringent federal efficiency standards are likely to increase costs for manufacturers and consumers without providing meaningful energy savings,” the group said in a press release.The Air Conditioning Heating, & Refrigeration Institute shelled out a record $1 million in cold hard cash last year and another $552,000 through the first half of 2019. It reported dispatching lobbyists to DOE to lobby for “needed reforms” to the law to “improve the regulatory process and accountability.”In February, DOE proposed changes to slow down the rulemaking process for setting new efficiency standards. That move was criticized by environmental groups but drew support from appliance and lightbulb manufacturers and other affected trade groups.
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