The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“BEST-IN-CLASS APPLIANCE BILL” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E825 on March 31, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
BEST-IN-CLASS APPLIANCE BILL
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HON. JANE HARMAN
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan and I have co-authored H.R. 1786, a bill that will help Americans transition from older, energy-wasting washing machines, refrigerators, and other household appliances to newer, super-efficient versions.
According to the Department of Energy, appliances currently account for about 20 percent of energy bills in a typical household. Many of these ``clunkers'' are the products of another era--manufactured years
(sometimes decades) ago, when technology was antiquated and efficiency a low priority. Removing old, inefficient appliances from circulation will go a long way toward cutting energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Our bill will task the DOE with creating a ``Best-in-Class'' appliance program to provide financial ``bonuses'' to retailers for every Best-in-Class product sold (defined as the top 10 percent of models in the product class, in terms of efficiency), and to manufacturers that mass produce Best-in-Class appliances.
Retailers who participate in the program must provide a government-
funded ``bounty'' (a reduction in price for a new, more efficient appliance) to consumers who surrender old appliances. Experience shows that many consumers hoard old appliances--perhaps moving them from the kitchen to the basement--eliminating the potential energy savings resulting from the purchase of a newer appliance. This trade-in feature will help take these clunkers completely out of circulation, substantially accelerating our transition to an energy-efficient economy.
This bill is a consensus product, and is endorsed by the NRDC and leading industry groups. We urge its swift passage.
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