FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 September 2023
Contact: Kevin McGuire, 202-538-2386 (mobile)
WASHINGTON, DC—Yesterday, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) led 35 Members in a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in support of the Department’s proposal to update energy efficiency standards for water heaters. The proposed standards would save homeowners and renters up to $200 per year on electricity bills, improve the nation’s energy security, and help tackle the climate crisis.
“Water heaters are the second-largest energy user in most households, yet most models – both electric and gas – use inefficient technologies, resulting in higher energy bills and emissions,” the Members wrote. “The proposed standards, which reflect a joint recommendation from major water heater manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates, would save U.S. consumers cumulatively $198 billion and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 501 million metric tons.”
The updated standards would help provide significant reductions in energy demand. The Energy Information Administration states that a standard electric resistance water heater draws about a quarter of a home’s total energy use, which puts undue strain on our electric grids. The Department’s proposal, effective in 2029, would lead to more energy-efficient water heaters that would help provide significant reductions in electricity demand.
Congresswoman Barragán was joined on the letter by Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (DE-At Large), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jesús García (IL-04), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Norton (DC), Scott Peters (CA-50), Katie Porter (CA-47), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-03), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Marc Veasey (TX-33), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
The following organizations supported the letter: Appliance Standards Awareness Project, Climate Action Campaign, NRDC, and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
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