On November 17, 2020, the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released a report that found that energy efficiency rules from the Department of Energy (DOE) for 47 products could reduce carbon emissions by 1.5 billion to 2.9 billion metric tons through 2050 which is equal to the closing 13 to 25 coal plants.[1] The standards that the report recommends could be met using current technology and completed over the next few years. The report noted that of the 47 products the report recommended standards for, strengthened standards for residential water heaters, commercial and industrial fans, residential furnaces, and light bulbs could provide the greatest potential emissions reductions.

The rule changes would save the average U.S. household more than $100 a year in utility costs by 2030, $230 a year by 2035, and nearly $350 a year by 2050. Cumulatively, consumers and businesses could potentially save $1.1 trillion on utility bills. The standards would also reduce peak electricity demand by almost 90 GW by 2050, which is equivalent to about 13% of total peak demand today. According to the report, the DOE could achieve greater emissions reductions by setting standards for products that do not currently have any standard and by improving test procedures used to rate products’ energy and water use. The report does acknowledge, though, that the DOE has not finished any updates for appliance standards since the beginning of the Trump administration, and as of November 2020, it has missed 28 legal deadlines for reviewing appliance standards.

[1] https://www.aceee.org/press-release/2020/11/report-biden-could-slash-carbon-pollution-energy-costs-efficiency-standards