President Barack Obama sought to keep the focus on climate change legislation and show quick action on energy by talking up his administration's new national efficiency standards for lamps and lighting equipment.
President Barack Obama sought to keep the focus on climate change legislation and show quick action on energy by talking up his administration's new national efficiency standards for lamps and lighting equipment.
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"I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 per cent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and businesses," the president said yesterday, standing alongside Energy Secretary Steven Chu at the White House.
Obama said new efficiency standards he was announcing for lamps would result in substantial savings between 2012 and 2042, while saving consumers up to 4 billion annually, conserving enough energy to power every US home for 10 months, reducing emissions equal to the amount produced by 166 cars a year and eliminating the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants.
The president also said he was speeding the delivery of USD 346 million in economic stimulus money to help improve energy efficiency in new and existing commercial buildings.
The White House added the event to the president's schedule at the last minute, just three days after the House of Representatives narrowly approved the first US energy legislation designed to curb global warming.
The measure's fate is uncertain in the Senate, where Democrats lack the 60 votes needed to block a certain filibuster.