A.8364 (Hevesi) / S.6205 (Maziarz)

STAFF CONTACT :

Director of Government Affairs
518.465.7511

BILL

A.8364 (Hevesi) / S.6205 (Maziarz)

SUBJECT

Relates to consumer audio and video products energy efficiency standards

DATE

Support

The Business Council supports this legislation, because it would ensure that the Energy Law can meet the pace of innovation and aligns more closely with the competitive dynamic among manufacturers to make products more energy efficient. Currently Article 16 of the Energy Law (Chapter 431 of 2005) could have the unintended consequence of discouraging the manufacture of devices that combine features or uses in a single product, potentially increasing overall energy usage. The Business Council is concerned that provisions of the current law are impracticable and outdated, due largely to the rapid innovation and technology shifts within the consumer electronics industry.

Chapter 431 of 2005 directed NYSERDA to develop energy efficiency regulations for fourteen product categories, including consumer audio and video products. To date, implementation of this statute for covered consumer audio and video products (televisions, compact audio products, DVD players, DVD recorders, digital television adapters) has proven problematic.

Since 2005, other states have rejected appliance efficiency standards for high-tech consumer products, as it appears that voluntary and market-based programs (such as Energy Star) are working capably to reduce energy use; according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star has accumulated energy savings of 12.3 billion kWh in consumer electronics.

For these reasons, The Business Council is support legislative approval of this bill.