14 DAY TRIAL // Last week, the Obama administration went public with the news that it wished to further improve on the country's energy efficiency and ecological footprint by rolling out new working standards for refrigeration equipment.
Once in place, the new standards are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 350 million metric tons over a period of merely 30 years.
Moreover, they are expected to slash energy cost. Thus, should things go as planned, energy bills could be cut by an impressive $28 billion (€21.17) over just three decades, Business Green reports.
“Today, the Energy Department is taking steps towards achieving this new goal by issuing two proposed rules that could cut energy bills by up to $28 billion and cut emissions by over 350 million metric tons of CO2 over 30 years,” the White House explains.
“This reduction in CO2 emissions would be the equivalent of taking nearly 109 million new cars of the road for one year. Or put another way, the energy saved from these proposed rules would be equal to the amount of electricity used by 50 million homes in a year,” it further details.
The first of the two new standards that the Obama administration has in mind targets commercial refrigeration equipment, i.e. restaurant-size refrigerators and deli cases at convenience stores.
The second targets walk-in coolers and freezers, i.e. milk-display cases at supermarkets and other similar facilities.
Whereas the first standard is expected to help save some $4 billion (€3.02 billion) in energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 55 million metric tons, the second is expected to cut energy bills by $24 (€18.14 billion) billion and keep 298 million metric tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
These savings and reductions in CO2 emission will all be recorded over the next 30 years, the Obama administration wishes to clarify.
Commenting on the importance of implementing such standards, the White House stated as follows:
“These critical steps bolster the energy productivity of our economy, cut energy costs for American families and businesses, and leave a healthier planet for future generations.”