On January 9, Arthur Corbin, President and CEO of the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia and Chair of the APGA Direct Use Task Group, represented APGA at a Department of Energy (DOE) public meeting addressing improvements to the Process Rule. The Process Rule addresses the procedures and policies that guide DOE in establishing new or amended energy-efficiency standards. The meeting was well attended with representatives from appliance manufacturers, trade associations including the American Gas Association and Edison Electric Institute, national and state efficiency groups, and others. The meeting began with a number of groups, including APGA, making opening statements. After the opening statements, DOE staff walked through a presentation with the specific questions they included in their RFI for improving the current Process Rule. Their presentation focused on the following issues: Direct Final Rule issues; Negotiated Rulemaking Issues; Procedures for Gathering Information Early in the Rulemaking Process; The Use of Industry Test Procedures; and, Analytical Issues.
In his opening statement, Arthur Corbin, commended DOE for exploring ways to improve the current Energy Conservation Program consistent with the President’s goals for regulatory reform. He also expressed support for four specific reforms: (1) DOE should focus on lowering costs to consumers through energy conservation but only if it that clearly makes economic sense; (2) DOE’s process should be as transparent as possible; (3) test procedures must precede efficiency proposals; and, (4) peer reviews must be completed before DOE authorizes another energy conservation standard. Arthur also stated that energy efficiency standards play an important role in reducing energy consumption and, in doing so, providing real cost savings to consumers; however there should never be “winners and losers” when establishing these standards. He also stated that the process “should produce results whereby consumers have more options to save on their energy bills and manufacturers have the freedom to produce better products for consumers.”
A copy of APGA’s opening statement is available on the APGA website. The next step will be the filing of formal comments, which are due on February 16. For questions on this article, please contact Dave Schryver of APGA’s staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
dschryver@apga.org.