New York Sets Efficiency Standards for Appliances

In July 2005 New York became the latest state to develop energy efficiency standards for products not covered by federal regulations. (The Energy Policy Act of 2005, signed in August, established several federal standards; see Bush Signs Energy Policy Act of 2005.) New York’s Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Standards Act of 2005 requires the secretary of state and the president of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop standards for a range of products, including ceiling fans, furnace air handlers, commercial washing machines, commercial refrigerators and freezers, torchiere lighting fixtures, and large air-conditioning equipment. The standards are anticipated to save more than 2,000 gigawatt hours of electricity each year—enough to power 350,000 homes. Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey have adopted similar standards.