The following statement is attributed to Douglas Johnson, vice president, technology policy, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, regarding the reintroduction of the ENERGY STAR Regulatory Improvement Act by Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), legislation that would provide an alternate to the ENERGY STAR program’s third-party certification requirement for consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers with a demonstrated track record of compliance:

“We commend Representative Womack for reintroducing this important bill, which recognizes that a costly, time-consuming, one-size-fits-all approach to the ENERGY STAR program isn’t the most effective means of improving energy efficiency. Thanks to his thoughtful legislation, both small and large companies with a demonstrated track record of compliance could be relieved of the cost burdens and time delays created by unnecessary, pre-market requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The consumer electronics industry now accounts for more than half the overall savings achieved under the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program for consumer products. Third-party certification may work well for certain product categories or industries covered by ENERGY STAR, but not for a CE sector with intense market pressures, short time-to-market requirements and a lightning-fast pace of innovation. Additionally, the CE industry already has a self-certification system that has been successful not only in the context of ENERGY STAR, but also in other federal regulatory programs.

“Representative Womack’s bill strikes the right balance between maintaining EPA’s use of third-party certification and recognizing opportunities to provide relief where such burdensome mandates are not needed or justified.”

Even though there are more consumer electronics in U.S. homes than ever, those devices now account for a lower percentage of electricity usage per household, according to the CEA study Energy Consumption of Consumer Electronics in U.S. Homes in 2013.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the technology trade association representing the $223 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative and regulatory advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org, www.DeclareInnovation.com and through social media: http://www.ce.org/social.

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