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Exciting news from the usually-unexciting appliance industry: the Energy Efficient and Smart Appliance Agreement of 2010 was signed this week. In it is a call for new national minimum efficiency standards as well as tax credits for highly efficient appliances, and "smart grid readiness" to be included in the Energy Star qualification.
Refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers and room air conditioners are all covered. Major appliance manufacturers are on board, and so are environmental groups including NRDC and Earthjustice.
The agreement is exciting because it will not only increase water and energy efficiency in everyday appliances, but also create incentive for manufacturers to continue developing smarter and more efficient appliances—while also keeping jobs in the U.S. and driving down costs for customers.
Read more about the agreement for yourself, but here some of the highlights. It will: reduce CO2 emissions by 550 million metric tons, save nearly 5 trillion gallons of water over 30 years, and retain 46,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs in the appliance industry.
More about energy-efficient appliances:
Smarter Grids, Appliances, and Consumers
7 Energy Efficient Summer Cooling Tips from the EPA
"Plan B" - Efficiency and Conservation Measures Can Drop Energy Demand By 2020
