Shaheen, Portman Bill to Reform Efficiency Standard Headed to the President for Signature

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that their bill which makes technical corrections to External Power Supply (EPS) efficiency standards has passed the Senate and is now headed to the President for signature. The bipartisan EPS Service Parts Act of 2014 extends current energy efficiency standards so manufacturers can continue to produce, distribute and service energy efficient EPS for older, out of production products. By allowing continued production of older EPS spare parts to service older devices to continue, Shaheen and Portman’s bill will help save manufacturers money and spare consumers additional costs. The legislation also includes a reporting requirement to ensure this exemption is not abused for the remainder of the five-year efficiency standard cycle.  

“U.S. manufacturers and consumers shouldn’t have to bear the cost of a regulatory oversight,” Shaheen said. “With our bipartisan proposal headed to the President for his signature, both businesses and consumers will be saving money without compromising the benefits of energy efficiency.” 

“This commonsense regulatory reform measure will lower costs for both consumers and manufacturers and I’m pleased it’s now headed to the President for signature,” Portman stated.

“This bill's passage, by simply fixing an unintended legal glitch, will save US companies hundreds of millions of dollars, and benefit consumers by allowing them to continue to use existing EPS charging for their laptops, desktops, tablets, networking products and mobile phones in ways that save energy and help the environment," said Chris Hankin, Senior Director for Environment and Sustainability at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), an advocacy organization which represents 60 of the world¹s leading technology companies. "ITI and its member companies wish to thank Senators Portman and Shaheen for their leadership in helping secure its timely enactment."

This proposal enjoys the support of EPS manufacturers, efficiency advocates and a broad coalition of organizations, including the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).