Idaho Statesman Logo

Obama wants to speed energy-efficient equipment for households | Idaho Statesman

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Boise
    • West Ada
    • Canyon County
    • Crime
    • State News
    • Nation/World News
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Idahoans in the Military
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • Helping Works
    • In the Classroom
    • Our Community
    • Sports
    • Boise State Football
    • Boise State Basketball
    • Idaho Vandals
    • High Schools
    • Bronco Beat
    • Chadd Cripe
    • Varsity Extra Blog
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Idaho Politics
    • Elections
    • Government and Business
    • Capitol & State
    • Letters from the West
    • National Politics
    • Business
    • Business Insider
    • Business Columns & Blogs
    • Personal Finance
    • Legal Notices
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Bill Manny
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Guest Opinion
    • Submit a Letter or Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Arts and Culture
    • Festivals
    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Music
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Puzzles
    • Words & Deeds
    • ArtsBeat
    • Outdoors
    • Playing Outdoors Blog
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Fishing
    • Hiking and Trails
    • Hunting
    • Winter Recreation
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Treasure
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Best of Treasure Valley
    • Heart of the Treasure Valley
    • Margaret Lauterbach
    • Tim Woodward
    • Carolyn Hax
  • Obituaries

  • Contests
  • Advertise
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

News

Obama wants to speed energy-efficient equipment for households

Renee Schoof - McClatchy Newspapers

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 05, 2009 04:15 PM

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama made a strong pitch Thursday for the energy portion of his economic stimulus plan, saying it would "begin to end the tyranny of oil in our time" and create a clean energy industry with many new jobs.

The president spoke to employees at the Department of Energy, where he announced that he signed a memorandum asking the agency to speed up work on new efficiency standards for household appliances, furnaces, air conditioners, lighting, commercial equipment and other products. The standards set the minimum energy efficiency level on products that can be sold in the United States.

"This will save consumers money, this will spur innovation, and this will conserve tremendous amounts of energy," Obama said.

Enough energy saved over 30 years, in fact, the president said, to equal two years' worth of production from all the nation's hundreds of coal-fired power plants.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

The Department of Energy is required by law to set minimum energy efficiency standards for residential and commercial products, but over the past decades has missed so many deadlines that many new standards are far overdue. One of the first deadlines, in June, is for fluorescent tube lighting and incandescent reflector lamps, which are used for recessed ceiling lights in homes.

The president's memorandum called on the energy department meet all its upcoming deadlines and to speed up work on those that provide the most energy savings.

Obama also used his speech to department staff as a chance to urge Congress to pass his stimulus package. The nation lost 2.6 million jobs last year plus half a million jobs each month for the past two months. Another dismal report is due tomorrow.

Congress already has had a month to scrutinize the legislation and now "the time for talk is over," Obama said. The House of Representatives passed a version of the bill, and the Senate is debating it this week.

In recapping his proposal to put federal dollars into the economy, the president emphasized the parts of it that would boost clean energy. He said the stimulus plan would create "hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next few years, manufacturing wind turbines and solar cells for example — millions more after that."

The plan also calls for improving energy efficiency in 75 percent of federal buildings and 2 million American homes. Obama said it would not only create jobs but also cut the federal energy bill by a third and save Americans money on their utility bills.

Jared Bernstein, Vice President Joe Biden's economic policy adviser, told a national conference of labor and environmental activists in Washington on Thursday that the average savings on a weatherized house would be $350 per year. He said an economic plan based on building a clean energy system creates demand for new products, which both creates employment and fights climate change.

The production of energy that is then wasted from leaky buildings is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.

Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, said in a statement that higher efficiency standards for fluorescent lighting alone would save consumers and businesses between $11 billion and $26 billion over 30 years.

MORE FROM MCCLATCHY

Interior reverses Bush on oil and gas leases in Utah

DeMint, Sanford stir up stimulus opposition

In-river generator may give Alaska power alternative

Related stories from Idaho Statesman

news

Stimulus bill likely to shrink as GOP, Obama trade ideas

February 04, 2009 04:00 PM

news

Obama warns lawmakers that 'catastrophe' looms

February 05, 2009 04:06 PM

business

DeMint, Sanford stir up stimulus opposition

February 05, 2009 12:41 PM

news

Which GOP officials back Obama on stimulus? Governors

February 04, 2009 10:50 AM

news

What's Sarah Palin have to say about the stimulus package?

February 05, 2009 05:42 AM

news

Democrats lose Senate vote to add $25 billion to stimulus

February 03, 2009 04:09 PM

  Comments  

Videos

See four familiar retailers filing for bankruptcy

Idaho Youth Ranch sees an uptick in donations due to popular Netflix show

View More Video

Trending Stories

Stick this in your pipe and smoke it, Utah! Idaho is one of least sinful U.S. states

February 20, 2019 04:04 PM

Boise franchisees say franchiser double-crossed them. What Idaho’s Supreme Court ruled

February 20, 2019 02:16 PM

Cold case breakthrough: Man charged with murder in 1995 death of Idaho teen

February 20, 2019 05:09 PM

Amazon’s Nampa center will increase traffic, so city wants it to pay for road upgrades

February 20, 2019 12:03 AM

Former Boise State football stars among NFL’s most sought-after free agents

February 20, 2019 02:47 PM

Read Next

Australia says coal holdups at China ports are not a ban

Business

Australia says coal holdups at China ports are not a ban

By NICK PERRY Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 01:35 AM

Australia's trade minister says delays in handling of coal shipments at Chinese port are not a ban.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS

From Syria, IS slips into Iraq to fight another day

Nation & World

From Syria, IS slips into Iraq to fight another day

February 22, 2019 01:24 AM

Nation & World

India top court orders an end to assaults against Kashmiris

February 22, 2019 01:15 AM
If proven, Smollett allegations could be a ‘career killer’

Entertainment

If proven, Smollett allegations could be a ‘career killer’

February 22, 2019 01:04 AM

Nation & World

India seeks to control rivers into Pakistan as punishment

February 22, 2019 12:48 AM
French bishops agree to compensation for sex abuse victims

Nation & World

French bishops agree to compensation for sex abuse victims

February 22, 2019 12:33 AM
Closing nuclear facility on table as US-NKorea summit nears

Business

Closing nuclear facility on table as US-NKorea summit nears

February 22, 2019 12:31 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Idaho Statesman App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story