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California AG, Environmental Groups Challenge Weak Energy Efficiency Standards Stronger standards would save energy, cut global warming pollution by700 million tons Washington, DC: Environmental groups and the state of California are filing lawsuits urging the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to adopt stronger energy efficiency standards for electricity distribution transformers, the gray boxes mounted on utility poles all over the country. The public interest law firm Earthjustice is filing the lawsuit on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), arguing that the standards DOE adopted in October are too weak, in part because DOE illegally failed to account for the monetary benefits of reducing carbon dioxide pollution when setting the standards. As a result, these weak standards will lead to excessive energy consumption and unnecessary global warming pollution. The California Attorney General’s office is expected to file a similar lawsuit today. "These standards allow a huge waste of energy to continue," said Earthjustice attorney Tim Ballo. "As world leaders struggle to agree on solutions to global warming, we can cut carbon emissions now, simply by following our nation’s energy laws and switching to more efficient technology that’s already available. Energy efficiency is vital to curbing global warming, which is what we are urging today." The nation’s 40 million distribution transformers are crucial cogs in the energy system, reducing electricity voltage to the levels needed to power homes and businesses. Because of their ubiquity and because all power travels through one or more transformers, the energy savings offered by greater efficiency is enormous. According to DOE estimates, requiring all new transformers to achieve the same efficiency levels as the best units currently on the market would eliminate the need for nearly 20 large new power plants by 2038. "Massive amounts of power flowing through our national power grid are lost when these inefficient electric transformers leak energy. Like preparing a drafty house for winter, we need to seal these leaks in the system," said Bruce Nilles, director of the Sierra Club's National Coal Campaign. "Making these simple improvements can make new, expensive coal plants unnecessary." Adopting the more stringent standards would also avoid the emission of 700 million tons of carbon dioxide-- more than what is emitted annually by all U.S. passenger cars. "The Bush administration has rejected mandatory limits on global warming pollution in favor of solving the problem through other means, such as energy efficiency standards," said David B. Goldstein, co-director of NRDC’s energy program. "And yet DOE’s efficiency standards for distribution transformers are incredibly weak, in part because DOE did not take into account the benefits of reducing global warming pollution. DOE is missing a huge opportunity to reduce pollution at a profit. Given what we know about the dangers of global warming, we can’t afford to miss any opportunities to reduce heat-trapping emissions, much less an opportunity this big." Utility companies, the primary purchasers of these transformers, have also called for more efficient standards, citing the more than $11.1 billion the industry could save. But DOE disregarded stronger standards supported by both utility and environmental groups when it adopted its regulations. "DOE has just left money on the table," said Goldstein. Consumers also stand to benefit from efficiency standards, which reduce costs and improve system reliability. Each year, inefficient, overheated transformers are responsible for countless power outages across the country. ### Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. Earthjustice brings about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities. More information on Earthjustice is available at its Web site: www.earthjustice.org The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing. More information on NRDC is available at its Web site: www.nrdc.org The Sierra Club’s new National Coal Campaign is working to ensure coal is mined responsibly and burned cleanly. Across the country the Campaign is fighting to stop the construction of dirty new coal plants and direct the proposed investments into energy efficiency, renewable resources, and other clean alternatives. More information is available at its Web site: www.sierraclub.org/coal |
