The Northeast States Minimum Efficiency Standards Project was established by NEEP in 2001 to assess opportunities to increase energy efficiency through new and updated minimum appliance and equipment efficiency standards. The project evolved into its current form as a regional coalition of consumer, environmental and energy efficiency groups advocating for the enactment of state energy efficiency standards1 for a range of commercial and residential products.
Currently, standards legislation is pending in a number of states in the Northeast region (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT). For all the latest developments, please visit the News Archive.
Why it was formed (backgrounder):
Following the prompting of several states throughout the 1970s and '80s, federal energy efficiency standards were established in 1987 through the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act. In the years since, however, the federal standards program has failed to keep up with technological progress and the development of many energy-saving products, missing the opportunity for energy savings to be attained through updated standards. With the federal government not having set any new efficiency standards since 1992, states are once again taking the lead.
Energy efficiency standards for these products will:
- Provide economic benefits to individual consumers, the state and the region.
- Improve the reliability of the electricity grid.
- Mitigate causes and effects of global climate change.
- Improve air and water quality by reducing the emissions of pollutants that form smog and acid rain.
State efficiency standards DO NOT conflict with existing federal standards. Although this is a regional effort, each state's bill is a stand-alone piece of legislation, but each contains the same proposed standards. The project is coordinated at the regional level to maximize momentum and the potential benefits of such legislature.
Regional adoption of equipment standards will maximize the benefits of energy efficiency, helping to stabilize energy prices, lower electricity demand and reduce harmful emissions. The potential reduction in peak demand by 2020 that can be gained through energy efficiency standards - over 3,400 megawatts - is equivalent to the output of 10 power plants generating 300 megawatts each. Moreover, efficiency standards have the potential to save consumers and businesses nearly $12.6 billion, reduce annual carbon emissions by over 1,900 metric tons, and reduce annual nitrogen oxide emissions by over 2,000 metric tons, which equates to removing 90,000 cars from the road.
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