By Mark Krebs
“Whereas gasoline home equipment could presently be shedding some market share to electrical energy as a result of Inexperienced New Deal discrimination, there are additionally growing indications that the general public is each weary and cautious of such ‘watermelon’ insurance policies. It’s not about saving the planet from the ravages of fossil fuels; it’s about enslaving the planet by banning fossil fuels.”
Sure, the President of the USA has pulled out a Korean Warfare authority (Protection Manufacturing Act) to struggle in opposition to American power that People desire. It’s an overreach that’s being famous broadly, as outlined under in addition to right here and right here.
The American Fuel Affiliation (AGA) began this newest flurry with a press launch November 17, 2023. The identical day, Reuters and Fox Information revealed their articles. Epoch Instances revealed its article (and video) on November 20, 2023. The Reuters article most noteworthy contribution is that it names recipients of the Biden Administration’s [mis]appropriations of DPA funding. Each the Reuters article and Fox Information article cite the AGA’s press launch.
It’s a good signal that information shops are at the very least starting to learn AGA press releases.
- American Fuel Affiliation (11/17):
AGA responds to President Biden’s use of Protection Manufacturing Act powers to fund electrical warmth pumps - Reuters (11/17):
US goals to hurry warmth pump manufacturing utilizing Chilly Warfare-era legislation - Fox Information (11/17):
Biden invokes wartime powers to fund electrical heaters as he cracks down on gasoline home equipment - Epoch Instances 11/20)
Biden Makes use of Warfare Powers to Goal Family Home equipment - Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Statistical data on HVACR tools shipments:
Central Air Conditioners and Air-Supply Warmth Pumps Cargo Knowledge
6. AHRI’s place on the inflation Discount Act (contains background on DPA)
This Could 09, 2022, article for RealClearEnergy 1) mentioned DPA funding for electrical warmth pumps, 2) strongly refutes the inherently flawed “power effectivity” claims nonetheless being made by DOE for electrical warmth pumps and three) doesn’t blindly adhere to LNG as the most effective use of our nation’s irreplaceable pure gasoline inheritance. It obtained practically 200 feedback.
Dialogue:
The AHRI knowledge clearly reveals that gasoline home equipment are shedding at the very least some floor to electrical equivalents as evidenced by the above graphs. Furthermore, this pattern seems to have accelerated beneath the Biden Administration. AHRI’s dialogue of the IRA and DPA is non-committal advocacy (an oxymoron?).
The seemingly purpose is that AHRI has members on either side of those points. As my good good friend Ed Reid commented on right now (Nov 21, 2023), there are numerous causes to be grateful this vacation season. Sadly, the warfare of attrition in opposition to client selection for non-electric equipment is probably not considered one of them. Then again, at the very least Biden hasn’t (but) invoked the DPA in whole in what his Administration continues to equate to essentially the most existential menace to humanity of all; anthropogenic international warming.
And in different associated information:
A consortium of the AGA, the Pure Propane Fuel Affiliation (NPGA) and the American Public Fuel Affiliation (APGA) has simply issued what may very well be “a shot throughout the [DOE’s] bow” within the type of what they titled a “PETITIONERS’ NON-BINDING STATEMENT OF ISSUES TO BE RAISED.” (Click on right here for the for a PDF of an official copy.)
Footnote 1 to their “petition” signifies that it’s geared toward a not too long ago ended Discover of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) titled “Power Conservation Program: Power Conservation Requirements for Industrial Water Heating Tools.” Nonetheless, there isn’t any purpose obvious (to me at the very least) why this petition couldn’t equally apply to different latest DOE NOPR’s. For instance. DOE’s not too long ago ended NOPR for “Client Boilers” which I revealed an replace on MasterResource dated October 24, 2023. Regardless, their petition clearly signifies that the retail distribution a part of the “gasoline trade” intends to enchantment a Closing Rule that might get rid of at the very least one sort of non-condensing gasoline home equipment.
Because the physique of that petition is comparatively brief, it’s proven under (in italics) in its entirety:
- Did the Division of Power (“DOE”) exceed its authority beneath the Power Coverage and Conservation Act by imposing new power conservation requirements for business water heaters with out a separate class for non-condensing business water heaters?
- Did DOE exceed its authority beneath the Power Coverage and Conservation Act by imposing new power conservation requirements for business water heaters that can consequence within the unavailability of noncondensing gas-fired water heaters?
- Did DOE exceed or arbitrarily or capriciously train its authority beneath the Power Coverage and Conservation Act by failing to contemplate vital “efficiency traits (together with reliability, options, sizes, capacities and volumes” which can be at the moment supplied by non-condensing business water heaters, which might be made unavailable by the Closing Rule?
- Did DOE lack “clear and convincing proof” to justify new power conservation requirements for business water heaters that can consequence within the unavailability of noncondensing gas-fired water heaters?
- Was DOE’s choice to make non-condensing gas-fired business water heaters unavailable to customers arbitrary and capricious?
- Was the DOE’s consideration and therapy of gasoline switching opposite to its authority beneath the Power Coverage and Conservation Act?
- Did DOE act arbitrarily, capriciously, or opposite to legislation by failing to comply with its personal Procedures, Interpretations, and Insurance policies for Consideration in New or Revised Power Conservation Requirements by, amongst different issues, failing to contemplate the destructive penalties of accelerating gasoline switching from pure gasoline to electrical energy?
- Did DOE lack “clear and convincing proof” to assist its conclusion that the brand new requirements for business water heaters within the Closing Rule are economically justified?
- Was DOE’s willpower that the brand new requirements within the Closing Rule are economically justified arbitrary and capricious?
Conclusions
Whereas gasoline home equipment could presently be shedding some market share to electrical energy as a result of anticompetitive and counterproductive Inexperienced New Deal’s power and environmental travesties beneath the Biden Administration, there are additionally growing indications that the general public is each weary and cautious of such “watermelon” insurance policies (inexperienced outdoors, purple inside). It’s not about saving the planet from the ravages of fossil fuels; it’s about enslaving the planet by banning fossil fuels.
The eighteenth-century naval hero John Paul Jones was doing battle with a British ship when his personal ship was badly broken, and the British commander known as over to ask whether or not Jones had surrendered. He answered, “I’ve not but begun to struggle.” He and his crew then captured the British ship. Whereas regulatory seize of the “administrative state” seems to be the rule and never the exception at current, this little bit of historical past must be remembered so we do repeat it and recapture a authorities “for the folks” as our Founding Fathers meant.
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Mark Krebs, a mechanical engineer and power coverage guide, has been concerned with power effectivity design and program analysis for over thirty years. Mark has served as an professional witness in dozens of State power effectivity proceedings, has been an advisor to DOE and has submitted scores of Federal energy-efficiency filings. His many MasterResource posts on pure gasoline vs. electrical energy and “Deep Decarbonization” federal coverage will be discovered right here.
