[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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