As the new home of RIPIRG's environmental work, Environment Rhode Island can be contacted regarding this news release.
PROVIDENCE—On Friday
night the Rhode Island House and Senate approved identical energy efficiency
bills sponsored by Senator Elizabeth Roberts (Cranston) and Representative Art
Handy (Cranston) to cut energy waste, reduce air pollution and improve the reliability
of the electric grid, by setting minimum energy standards for 14 common household
and commercial appliances. The bills (S 540A, H-5307B) are now on their way
to the Governor’s desk.
If signed the bills are
expected to save Rhode Island $225 million over 25 years by reducing energy
consumption and offsetting the need to run dirty power plants. The bill would
also have a significant impact on air pollution in the Ocean State. The bill
would create annual reductions of 100 tons of nitrogen and sulfur-oxides, two
pollutants that directly contribute to the formation of particulate pollution
and ground level ozone. The bill would also lead to annual reductions of over
20,000 tons of global warming pollution.
"The Energy and Consumer
Savings Act benefits the environment and consumers alike. It will reduce pollutants
in the atmosphere, while saving consumers millions of dollars. What's more,
as we reduce consumption, the price of electricity also goes down," said
Sen. Roberts.
“Energy efficiency
is really an excellent example of good environmental and good economic policy
going hand-in-hand,” said Rep. Art Handy (Cranston). “Cutting energy
waste makes sense no matter how you look at our energy system and that’s
why this bill has support from the business community, consumers, environmental
groups and electric utilities,” Handy continued.
The bill achieves the energy
savings by setting minimum standards for commercial clothes washers, commercial
freezers, commercial ice-makers, commercial refrigerators, exit signs, external
power supplies that are used to charge cell phones and other electronic equipment,
large packaged air conditioners used in large commercial buildings, transformers,
metal halide lamp fixtures, pre-rinse spray valves, space heaters used to heat
large industrial spaces, mercury vapor lamps, torchiere lamps and traffic signals.
“The Energy and Consumer
Savings Act would reduce as much global warming pollution as taking 18,000 cars
off of the road and save Rhode Island over $225 million over the next 25 years
by cutting energy waste in Rhode Island,” said Matt Auten, Advocate with
the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group (RIPIRG). “This clearly
would be a victory for the environment, for public health and for consumers.
Governor Carcieri should be sure to sign this bill,” Auten concluded.
Other states that have passed
similar efficiency standards bills include Arizona, California, Connecticut,
Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington.
