[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8104-H8105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXCLUDING SECURITY AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT FROM ENERGY EFFICIENCY
STANDARDS
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5470) to exclude an external power supply for certain
security or life safety alarms and surveillance system components from
the application of certain energy efficiency standards under the Energy
Policy and Conservation Act.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5470
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR CLASS A EXTERNAL POWER
SUPPLIES.
Section 325(u)(3) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act
(42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``(D)'' and inserting
``(E)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) Nonapplication of no-load mode energy efficiency
standards to external power supplies for certain security or
life safety alarms or surveillance systems.--
``(i) Definition of security or life safety alarm or
surveillance system.--In this subparagraph:
``(I) In general.--The term `security or life safety alarm
or surveillance system' means
[[Page H8105]]
equipment designed and marketed to perform any of the
following functions (on a continuous basis):
``(aa) Monitor, detect, record, or provide notification of
intrusion or access to real property or physical assets or
notification of threats to life safety.
``(bb) Deter or control access to real property or physical
assets, or prevent the unauthorized removal of physical
assets.
``(cc) Monitor, detect, record, or provide notification of
fire, gas, smoke, flooding, or other physical threats to real
property, physical assets, or life safety.
``(II) Exclusion.--The term `security or life safety alarm
or surveillance system' does not include any product with a
principal function other than life safety, security, or
surveillance that--
``(aa) is designed and marketed with a built-in alarm or
theft-deterrent feature; or
``(bb) does not operate necessarily and continuously in
active mode.
``(ii) Nonapplication of no-load mode requirements.--The
No-Load Mode energy efficiency standards established by this
paragraph shall not apply to an external power supply
manufactured before July 1, 2017, that--
``(I) is an AC-to-AC external power supply;
``(II) has a nameplate output of 20 watts or more;
``(III) is certified to the Secretary as being designed to
be connected to a security or life safety alarm or
surveillance system component; and
``(IV) on establishment within the External Power Supply
International Efficiency Marking Protocol, as referenced in
the `Energy Star Program Requirements for Single Voltage
External Ac-Dc and Ac-Ac Power Supplies', published by the
Environmental Protection Agency, of a distinguishing mark for
products described in this clause, is permanently marked with
the distinguishing mark.
``(iii) Administration.--In carrying out this subparagraph,
the Secretary shall--
``(I) require, with appropriate safeguard for the
protection of confidential business information, the
submission of unit shipment data on an annual basis; and
``(II) restrict the eligibility of external power supplies
for the exemption provided under this subparagraph on a
finding that a substantial number of the external power
supplies are being marketed to or installed in applications
other than security or life safety alarm or surveillance
systems.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today to offer H.R. 5470, a simple piece of legislation that
provides a straightforward technical correction to the Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Specific provisions in the Energy Independence and Security Act
intended to increase the energy efficiency requirements for battery
chargers and external power supplies have been implemented in a way
that includes security and life safety products but yields no energy
savings. The law requires the power supplies on these products to meet
energy efficiency standards in a number of different modes, including
off mode and standby mode. Security and life safety products, however,
are always on and never operate in off mode or standby mode. Fire
monitors, carbon monoxide monitors, intrusion detection sensors and
access control readers require a constant, uninterrupted power supply.
Security products are always in active mode, meaning they are connected
to a main power source and remain active to detect and monitor various
readings. To disconnect these devices from the transformer would
destroy the integrity of the security system and compromise public
safety and security.
This legislation will provide an exemption for security and life
safety products from these Federal energy efficiency requirements while
still retaining the law's active mode efficiency requirements for these
products. Without creating this correction for security and life safety
products, the industry will be forced to spend millions of dollars to
comply with an energy standard that will yield no energy savings and
could actually cost jobs.
Mr. Speaker, this commonsense correction to current law is supported
by the security industry and a broad spectrum of environmental groups,
including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Council
for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and the Alliance to Save Energy. The
bill also contains language which will mitigate any potential newfound
concerns by limiting the duration of the exemption to allow the
Department of Energy to modify it after July 2017.
I would also note, Mr. Speaker, that the Department of Energy
supports this correction, which is documented in response to a question
for the record submitted by Senator Bingaman following a Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing. It is also
bipartisan. My colleague from Kentucky who is on the floor is also one
of the cosponsors of this bill.
I would urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support
this sensible technical correction and vote ``aye.''
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for introducing this
important legislation. We anticipate that over the next 25 years, the
demand for electricity in America is going to almost double. One of the
ways, not the only way, but one of the ways that we are going to have
to address this problem is to have consumer products that are more
efficient, that use less electricity.
{time} 1120
That was certainly the purpose of the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007, which sought to clarify requirements in the
measurement of energy consumption in certain consumer devices. Some of
the devices, however, that were not excluded in this legislation
included security devices such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
When we have regulations to make products more efficient, it's always
a balancing act. We want them to be more efficient, but we don't want
them to have to be redone in such a way that it raises the price to the
consumer and makes the manufacturer of that product less competitive in
the global marketplace.
This legislation, H.R. 5470, is designed to do particularly that, to
exclude from this legislation of 2007 these security devices such as
smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. This legislation is going to help
clarify that, because we went to the Department of Energy and asked
them to modify the requirements, and they refused, saying that they
could issue a ruling only to modify regulations written by the
Department, not amend a law passed by Congress. Mr. Pallone's
legislation does expressly that. I would urge all of our Members to
support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. I would also yield back the balance of my time and urge
passage of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5470.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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