Requirements tightened for Energy Star program
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.
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California avoids widespread rolling blackouts as heat strains power grid
LOS ANGELES - California has avoided ordering rolling blackouts after electricity demand reached a record-high Tuesday night from excessive heat across the state.
The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state’s electrical grid, imposed its highest level energy emergency on Tuesday, a step that comes before ordering rolling blackouts and allows the state to access emergency power sources.
The Office of Emergency Services also sent a text alert to residents requesting them to conserve power. The operator downgraded the Stage 3 alert around 8:00 p.m. PT on Tuesday and said that “consumer conservation played a big part in protecting electric grid…