<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/us-moves-to-repeal-water-heater-efficiency-standards-in-all-in-attack-on-decarbonisation/>
"The US Trump government is leaving no stone unturned to thwart the former
Biden administration’s decarbonisation efforts, with the House of
Representatives voting last week to repeal energy efficiency standards for
water heaters.
The move is part of president Donald Trump’s first-day executive order to
“unleash American energy,” which included a pledge to ease efficiency standards
for household appliances and fixtures.
The order would “safeguard the American people’s freedom to choose from a
variety of goods and appliances, including but not limited to lightbulbs,
dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and shower
heads,” it said.
In this particular case, updated Department of Energy standards announced in
December and set to take effect in 2029 would require new tankless gas water
heaters – also known as instantaneous gas heaters – to use about 13 per cent
less energy than the least efficient models in use today.
These standards would save the average household $112 on their utility bills
over the lifetime of a new water heater, or a total of $3.1 billion in
cumulative savings, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC),
an environmental non-profit based in New York City.
But Alabama Republican Congressman Gary Palmer, who introduced the resolution,
has said the vote was about protecting the consumer, framing the standard
introduced by the DoE during the previous administration as limiting customer
choice.
More tellingly, Palmer also described the Biden efficiency measures as an
“assault on hydrocarbon energy.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics