14 DAY TRIAL // The Department of Energy in the United States has recently announced that the country is to implement new energy efficiency standards that it hopes will not only help reduce carbon pollution, but will also cut electricity bills.
On its website, the Department details that these standards are part of the Obama administration's Climate Action Plan, and that they target electric motors and walk-in coolers and freezers.
“These standards combined will help reduce harmful carbon pollution by up to 158 million metric tons – equivalent to the annual electricity use of more than 21 million homes – and save businesses $26 billion (€18.8 billion) on utility bills through 2030,” the Department writes.
In light of recent studies showing that global warming and climate change are progressing at a rapid pace, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to such an extent can only come as good news.
Presently, electric motors are fairly popular in the United States. In fact, reports say that, just last year, about 5 million electric motors were imported into the country, and were put to use in industrial machines, conveyor belts, elevators and the like.
The Department of Energy claims that a single 30 horsepower electric motor goes through about 62,000 kilowatt-hours’ worth of energy on a yearly basis. This means that such machines need to be listed among the contributors to climate change and global warming.
The Department expects that, thanks to the new energy efficiency standards, the amount of carbon dioxide that electric motors operating across the county produce will drop by about 96 million metric tons by the year 2030.
Besides, the new standards are expected to help reduce the electricity costs associated with using electric motors by approximately $16 billion (roughly €11.5 billion) by 2030, the Department of Energy tells us.
As far as walk-in coolers and freezers are concerned, it is estimated that, once the new standards are in place, energy bills will drop by about $10 billion (€7.24 billion) and carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by some 62 million metric tons by the year 2030.
“Energy efficiency is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to save money, cut greenhouse gas pollution and help businesses strengthen their bottom lines,” Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz commented on this latest initiative intended to help the United States improve on its ecological footprint.
“By working with industry and efficiency groups, the Energy Department continues to make strong progress in developing appliance standards that save communities and businesses billions of dollars while strengthening U.S. energy security,” Ernest Moniz added.