NEMA supports Presdient Obama's call for national efficiency standards for commercial and industry equipment

ROSSLYN, Va., February 6, 2009—The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has announced its support of President Obama’s February 5, 2009 announcement on the importance of national energy efficiency standards for consumer and industrial equipment regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE).  

According to NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis, NEMA members are in the energy-efficiency business, and are leaders in researching and manufacturing energy efficient products that save consumers money and meet consumer needs.

“President Obama's has signed a presidential memorandum requesting that DOE set new efficiency standards for common household appliances that will save consumers money, spur innovation, and conserve energy,“ Gaddis said. “We have been a strong advocate for a robust national efficiency standards program that sets federal efficiency standards and avoids a patchwork of unworkable state standards. NEMA looks forward to working with Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and his team as they improve the work of the DOE Codes and Standards program.”

NEMA has been at the forefront of federal efficiency standards since 1988 when Congress adopted NEMA’s recommendations for fluorescent lamp ballasts. NEMA developed the first energy-efficiency standards for electric motors and distribution transformers, and those NEMA standards serve as the basis for today’s federal standards for those products.  

NEMA advocated for significant new standards on general service light bulbs that were adopted in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. Those lighting standards, which go into effect over a two-year period beginning January 1, 2012, represent a 30 percent increase in efficiency of light bulbs while providing consumers a variety of technologies to choose from. 

Presently, NEMA is engaged with DOE and other stakeholders in finalizing new efficiency standards for general service fluorescent lamps (e.g., 4-foot fluorescent lamps) and incandescent reflector lamps (e.g., flood and spot bulbs used in recessed lighting applications). Those new standards are to be issued by June 2009.   

NEMA also successfully advocated for standards for exit signs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and traffic lights in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as metal halide luminaires (lighting fixtures) in EISA 2007. 

NEMA members are actively engaged in energy-efficiency research and technology development that will lead to further improvements in electric motor-driven systems, transformers, and advanced lighting systems, including LED (light-emitting diode) lighting.  

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. The Association’s Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Division represents manufacturers of medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. These products are used in utility, medical imaging, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Domestic production of electrical products sold worldwide exceeds $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing and Mexico City.

  NEMA Communications comm@nema.org
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