I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2748 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES August 1, 2011 Mr. Honda introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To assess the potential of smart electronics to reduce home and office electricity demand, to incorporate smart electronics into the Energy Star Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Smart Electronics Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)The International Energy Agency estimates new electronic gadgets have the potential to triple their energy consumption by 2030 to 1,700 terawatt hours, the equivalent of today’s home electricity consumption of the United States and Japan combined. (2)According to the International Energy Agency, electronic gadgets already account for about 15 percent of household electric consumption, a share that is rising rapidly as the number of these gadgets multiplies. Last year, the world spent $80,000,000,000 on electricity to power all these household electronics, and that is projected to rise to $200,000,000,000 a year by 2030. (3)Most of the increase in consumer electronics will be in developing countries, where economic growth is fastest and ownership rates of gadgets is the lowest. (4)This proliferation in the use of devices will jeopardize efforts to increase the energy security of the United States and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. (5)The cost to business is even higher. Power consumed by the typical corporate data center is growing by 20 percent per year. Existing technologies could slash gadgets’ energy consumption by more than 30 percent at no cost or by more than 50 percent at a small cost, meaning that total greenhouse gas emissions from households' electronic gadgets could be held stable at around 500,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. (6)Governmental policies and programs such as Energy Star have the potential to be enhanced to achieve even greater energy savings through clear mandates and incentives and upgraded implementation.

3.

Definitions

For purposes of this Act: (1)

Administrator

The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (2)

Consumer electronics

The term consumer electronics means electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications, and office productivity. (3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy. (4)

Smart electronics

The term smart electronics means consumer electronics that include measures to reduce energy use and increase energy efficiency, such as the following: (A)Power-factor correction. (B)Stand-by power mode. (C)Communication with smart grid and in-home and networked energy monitoring equipment. (D)On-demand and variable processing speed semiconductors. (E)Off-peak operation and charging. (F)Low power switchable modes. (G)The ability to achieve greater efficiency with multiple functions on semiconductors.

4.

Assessment and analysis

Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Administrator shall submit a report to Congress that— (1)assesses the potential for cost-effective integration of smart electronics technologies and capabilities in all products that are reviewed for potential designation as Energy Star products; (2)assesses the growth of consumer electronics utilization and the associated energy consumption; (3)analyzes the potential energy savings and electricity cost savings that could accrue through specific Energy Star program focus on smart electronics; and (4)analyzes and ranks the potential of cost-effective smart electronics technologies.

5.

Incorporation of smart electronics in Energy Star program

To the extent that it is consistent with the findings of the report under section 4, the Secretary and the Administrator shall develop a smart electronics emphasis as part of the implementation of the Energy Star program.

6.

Energy Star Smart Electronics Registry

(a)

In general

To the extent that it is consistent with the findings of the report under section 4, the Secretary and the Administrator shall establish within the Energy Star program a Smart Electronics Registry that provides a voluntary mechanism for electronics manufacturers and sellers to register their smart electronics products. In operating the registry, the Secretary and the Administrator shall— (1)work with manufacturers to develop testing and verification protocols to ensure that products qualify as smart electronics; and (2)work with sellers to develop qualification criteria for smart electronics sales location labeling. (b)

State standards

Nothing in this section shall prohibit a State from enacting smart electronics standards more stringent than protocols and criteria established pursuant to this section.