Requirements tightened for Energy Star program
WASHINGTON D.C. - The Obama administration is taking steps to strengthen the federal Energy Star program after a report found the government energy efficiency program vulnerable to fraud and abuse.
The Environmental Protection Agency says that to qualify their products for the energyefficient label, new applicants will be required to submit complete lab reports and results for review. The agency is also ditching an automated approval process.
A report by last month by the General Accountability Office faulted the program for not verifying claims made by manufacturers. The GAO was able to get a bunch of phony products certified, including a gasolinepowered alarm clock.
The EPA and Energy Department will also require all manufacturers by the end of the year to submit test results from an approved, accredited lab.
Related News
British carbon tax leads to 93% drop in coal-fired electricity
LONDON - A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain, introduced in 2013, has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40% to 3% over six years, according to research led by UCL.
British electricity generated from coal fell from 13.1 TWh (terawatt hours) in 2013 to 0.97 TWh in September 2019, and was replaced by other less emission-heavy forms of generation such as gas. The decline in coal generation accelerated substantially after the tax was increased in 2015.
In the report, 'The Value of International Electricity Trading', researchers from UCL and the University of Cambridge also…
