National Appliance Energy Conservation Act

National Appliance Energy Conservation Act

Long title	An Act to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act with respect to energy conservation standards for appliances.
Acronyms (colloquial)	NAECA
Nicknames	National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987
Enacted by	the 100th United States Congress
Effective	March 17, 1987
Citations
Public law	100-12
Statutes at Large	101 Stat. 103
Codification
Titles amended	42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Social Welfare
U.S.C. sections amended	42 U.S.C. ch. 77 § 6201 et seq. 42 U.S.C. ch. 77, subch. III § 6291 et seq.
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 83 by J. Bennett Johnston, Jr. (D–LA) on January 6, 1987 Committee consideration by Senate Energy and Natural Resources, House Energy and Commerce Passed the Senate on February 17, 1987 (89-6) Passed the House on March 3, 1987 (passed voice vote, in lieu of H.R. 87) Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on March 17, 1987
Major amendments
Energy Policy Act of 1992 Energy Policy Act of 2005

The National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 (NAjECA; Pub.L. 100–12, 101 Stat. 103, enacted March 17, 1987) is a United States Act of Congress that regulates energy consumption of specific household appliances. Though minimum Energy Efficiency Standards were first established by the United States Congress in Part B of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), those standards were then amended by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.^[1]

All of these laws and regulations have to do with creating mandatory standards that deal with the energy efficiency of certain household appliances. These standards were put in place to ensure that manufacturers were building products that are at the maximum energy efficiency levels are that are technically feasible and economically justified.^[2]

Since these standards have gone into effect they have positively affected both the American economy and the environment. Americans who have purchased these appliances have been saving money on their electricity bills every year. It is estimated that these savings have been greater than $300 billion over time. This money is then reinvested into the economy where is estimated to support over 300,000 American jobs. The majority of American electricity production is from fossil fuels, so by reducing electricity loads less fossil fuels have to be burned. This results in fewer pollutants from being emitted in the process, such as carbon dioxide.^[3]

History

The National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1975 (NAECA) was enacted to help create uniform appliance efficiency standards at a time when individual states were creating their own standards.^[4] The NAECA established a conservation program for major household appliances, however no real standards came into existence until the 1980s when appliance manufacturers realized it was easier to conform to a uniform federal standard then individual state standards.^[4]

The National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 amended the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and was introduced and supported by democratic Senator Bennett Johnston, Jr. from Louisiana in January 1987.^[5] The new amendments to the act established minimum efficiency standards for many household appliances, including:^[4]

• Refrigerators
• Refrigerator-Freezers
• Freezers
• Room Air Conditioner
• Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts
• Incandescent Reflector Lamps
• Clothes Dryers
• Clothes Washers
• Dishwashers
• Kitchen Ranges and Ovens
• Pool Heaters
• Television Sets (withdrawn in 1995)
• Water Heaters

Congress set the initial efficiency standards at the start of the act then set a schedule for the United States Department of Energy to review them.^[4] The act also put into place laws prohibiting manufacturers from making any representations about the energy efficiency of any product on this list without first being tested by Federal testing procedure, and disclosing the results of such tests.^[5] Lastly the new act set new rules for when state regulations will be superseded by federal regulations in regard to testing and labeling requirements, and energy conservation standards.^[5]

References