Sen. Schumer proposes incentives for energy efficient appliances

 

Jun 21 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Greg Bruno The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.

Save the planet by saving money? Sen. Charles Schumer says he has a "bright idea" to make it happen.

In a bid to keep cash in constituents' pockets, the Democratic senator is pushing an amendment that would encourage appliance makers to churn out more efficient products.

Schumer says his measure, part of a comprehensive energy bill being debated in the Senate this week, would increase the availability of efficient household goods, and lead to lower utility bills for New Yorkers who buy them.

"Too many air conditioners and other appliance are operating under standards of efficiency that are simply outdated," Schumer said yesterday in an telephone interview with reporters. Increasing efficiency could be a "win for wallets, win for the environment, and a win for the country."

Schumer's amendment, one of three energy provisions he has sought to insert into the energy bill, would zero in on Department of Energy efficiency requirements.

Currently, federal rules governing such standards make it difficult for states to force manufacturers to produce efficient models. Schumer's measure would make it easier for states to set their own efficiency standards, as California has done.

The result, according to numbers crunched by the senator's office, could be savings of nearly $2 billion in upstate regions. Hudson Valley households could save nearly $600 million and reduce carbon dioxide by 2.9 million metric tons.

"The Department of Energy has failed to meet its deadline for meeting higher standards time and time again. Energy efficiency should be the norm, not the exception," Schumer said.

The fate of Schumer's measure, and the parent Senate energy bill, is unclear. Another proposal the Senate voted to attach to the legislation would enable the government to sue OPEC for price manipulation. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill if that remains.