New laws in Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Rhode Island will require minimum energy- and water efficiency levels for more than 15 products including air purifiers, computers, and restaurant equipment. New standards will reduce carbon dioxide, utility bills and states will be closer to meeting their climate goals.
States take a lead in creating standards for products that are not yet included in the federal program. New state standards require a minimum amount of water or energy efficiency for products that have no federal standard. The exceptions have been several water-using products, like faucets and showerheads, where DOE had granted states permission to set stronger standards.
2021 marks several firsts as Massachusetts adopted the first standards for electric vehicle chargers. Nevada adopted standards for gas fireplaces and air purifiers. Oregon adopted a standard for grid-enabled water heaters which requires electric water to automatically adjust their power usage in response to changes in electricity prices or the needs of the grid. Nevada authorized their state to adopt similar grid-enabled standards for energy-intensive appliances.
By 2035, these combined standards are estimated to save residents of the five states $470 million annually on their utility bills. It will also cut cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 4.3 million metric tons and will save almost 16 billion gallons of water.
