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.
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Electricity prices rise more than double EU average in first half of 2021
TALLINN - Estonia saw one of the highest rates in growth of electricity prices in the first half of 2021, compared with the same period in 2020. These figures were posted before the more recent, record level of electricity and natural gas prices; the latter actually dropped slightly in Estonia in the first half of the year.
While electricity prices rose 7 percent on year in the first half of 2021 in Estonia, the average for the EU as a whole stood at 2.8 percent over the same period, BNS reports.
Hungary (€10 per 100 Kwh) and Bulgaria (€10.20 per 100 Kwh)…
