Contact: Ben Somberg, 202-658-8129, bsomberg@aceee.org
Washington, DC—Energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers announced today will significantly reduce energy waste but miss the opportunity of far larger savings.
The final standards from the Department of Energy (DOE) will save utilities and their customers more than $14 billion in energy costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 85 million metric tons, based on transformers sold over three decades.
The final standards save only one-third as much energy as standards at DOE’s proposed levels would have. By setting weaker final standards, DOE sacrificed about $18 billion in additional savings and 165 million metric tons of carbon dioxide reductions.
“These standards significantly reduce energy waste, but they leave much bigger savings on the table. Passing up the savings that could have been achieved has a real cost for consumers, businesses, and the climate,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP).
Nearly all generated electricity flows through one or more transformers, so even small amounts of energy waste by each one can cause major needless climate pollution and additional costs incurred by homes and businesses through higher utility bills.
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The Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP) advocates for appliance, equipment, and lighting standards that cut planet-warming emissions and other air pollution, save water, and reduce economic and environmental burdens for low- and moderate-income households. ASAP’s steering committee includes representatives from environmental and efficiency nonprofits, consumer groups, the utility sector, and state government.