June 26th, 2023 - 5:11 pm
On Thursday, June 22, NEFI along with its industry partners submitted formal responses to the U.S. EPA's proposal to exclude furnaces and central air conditioners from the ENERGY STAR program. Our collective response generated over 450 letters from our members, associates, and concerned citizens. This action alert will be kept open through the July 7 deadline for public input established by the EPA for the proposal to remove boilers from ENERGY STAR.
An unprecedented coalition of national home energy trade associations united to deliver a joint response to EPA's proposal (read here), including the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), American Gas Association (AGA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), Energy Marketers of America (EMA), Oilheat Manufacturers Association (OMA), and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) National Association.
NEFI also submitted a separate response on behalf of the nation's heating fuel dealers. It emphasizes the significant strides the liquid fuels industry has made to enhance efficiency and reduce carbon emissions through technological advancements and the adoption of low-carbon renewable liquid heating fuels (full letter available here).
The ENERGY STAR program, established in 1992, was designed to lower emissions and home energy costs by helping consumers identify the most energy-efficient appliances. Historically, the program has endeavored to be unbiased and technology-neutral, making it a critical and trusted tool for consumers when shopping for home appliances and electronics. Furthermore, many public and private entities utilize ENERGY STAR when establishing minimum requirements for energy efficiency tax credits, rebates, and financing programs. Given these factors, the EPA's proposal to exclude liquid- and gas-fired systems is quite alarming.
Key points from our letter:
Our next step will be to prepare comments for the EPA's proposal to eliminate the boiler specification and replace it with a new ENERGY STAR specification for air-to-water (hydronic) heat pumps. The deadline for public comments on this proposal is July 7, 2023. NEFI and its coalition partners are also developing a comprehensive legislative strategy in response to these misguided proposals.
For more information or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to NEFI Vice President Jim Collura at (202) 441-8857 or jim.collura@nefi.com.
CLICK HERE to tell the EPA: Keep boilers and furnaces in ENERGY STAR program!