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AHAM COMMENDS DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ON MODERNIZATION OF APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY STANDARDS PROCESS

Washington, DC (January 16, 2020) — AHAM president and CEO Joseph M. McGuire issued the following statement supporting the modernization of the Department of Energy’s Process Rule:

“AHAM commends the Department of Energy for finalizing changes to its Process Rule for developing appliance efficiency standards and related test procedures. This much-needed modernization will bring greater transparency and consistency to the development of appliance efficiency standards, and will reflect the significant innovations made by appliance manufacturers over the past three decades.

Since the Process Rule was originally put in place in 1996, home appliances have achieved dramatic energy gains. For example, clothes washers consume 75% less energy than they did in 1996. Dishwashers use 43% less energy, room air conditioners use 35% less energy and refrigerators consume 23% less energy.

The final rule, released yesterday, requires that the Department of Energy consistently adhere to its process requirements. It also will allow DOE to better prioritize its resources based on energy savings – the core goal of the program. For updates to current standards, DOE will undertake an early, fact-based assessment of the need for further updates before the normal multi-year process to analyze all other impacts of a standards updates. This assessment will be subject to public comments and will aid in prioritization of appliance standards rulemakings based on energy savings potential, not by an arbitrary six-year lookback period.”

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The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) is the trade association representing manufacturers of major, portable and floor care home appliances and suppliers to the industry. AHAM is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and maintains an office in Ottawa. AHAM is the single voice providing the home appliance industry and its customers leadership, advocacy and a forum for action — developing and implementing credible solutions for public policy, standards and business decisions. You can visit AHAM’s web site at http://www.aham.org