May 16, 2005: Arizona Passes, Colorado Vetoes Appliance Efficiency Standards
PHOENIX and DENVER - Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has signed a bill that sets minimum energy efficiency standards for 12 products not covered by current federal standards. Starting in 2008, the law will apply to the following products sold in Arizona: commercial refrigerators and freezers, large commercial air conditioning equipment, icemakers, unit heaters, spray nozzles used in commercial kitchens, commercial clothes washers, low-voltage distribution transformers, torchiere light fixtures, exit signs, metal-halide lamp fixtures, power supplies for electronic devices, and traffic signals.
According to the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), the standards will save Arizona consumers and business a total of $650 million on energy bills by 2030. California, Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey have already adopted efficiency standards on these products.