Joseph M. McGuire, Aham President and CEOAham, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers of North America and Canada, is asking Congress to permanently transfer administration of Energy Star for home appliances from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back to the Department of Energy (DOE), which managed the program from its inception in the 1990s until 2009. According to Aham, the transfer to EPA has resulted in complications with verification testing requirements, as well as a number of moves that have brought Energy Star beyond its core goal of energy efficiency. At times, EPA’s specifications, in draft or final form, have conflicted or departed from DOE’s federal energy regulations for the same products. Lack of coordination between the two agencies causes confusion for both consumers and manufacturers of the regulated appliances. Appliances are regulated by the DOE under the federal Appliance Standards Program.
«The transfer from DOE to EPA – explains Joseph M. McGuire, Aham President and CEO – was done administratively, and administrative action could, likewise, reverse the transfer. Aham supports the transfer back to DOE, but we also support legislation that would permanently house the program for appliances at DOE, where it belongs.»
