Ceiling Fan Energy Conservation Harmonization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2030, the Ceiling Fan Energy Conservation Harmonization Act.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the chairman on this issue. It is bipartisan, and we are going to go ahead and do this law right.

Now, S. 2030 is essentially identical to H.R. 3477, legislation introduced by my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Hudson and Mr. Butterfield. The purpose of the legislation is to align the current 2019 compliance deadline for ceiling fan light kit standards with a separate standard for ceiling fans set for 2020.

S. 2030 essentially extends the compliance deadline for the rule amending the standards for ceiling fan light kits by just over 1 year to January 21, 2020, so they can both occur at the same time.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, required the Department of Energy to put in place efficiency standards for ceiling light kits. The DOE has determined that increasing efficiency standards for ceiling fan light kits would conserve energy more, while being economically feasible. The DOE finally put forth the standard that, as stated previously, would take effect in January of next year. However, because the DOE did not meet the statutory deadline for promulgating a ceiling fan lighting kit standard, certain backstop requirements have been triggered that would be vitiated by the new regulations.

Some have raised questions as to whether the enactment of this legislation would result in an extension of portions of these backstop requirements. I think it is important for manufacturers that we respond to this question, and it is my intent, later on in this debate, to enter into a colloquy with the chairman in order to provide direction to the DOE and make clear Congress' intent with regard to this matter.

New standards for these kits will save money and reduce carbon emissions, and I believe the sooner they are in place, the better for consumers and for our environment.

Having said that, the bill is not opposed by any environmental, community, or consumer groups. Perhaps this is because it is sensible legislation that will greatly help retailers by eliminating unnecessary burdens for sellers of the products, while only minimally delaying new standards.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to have a brief colloquy with Mr. Upton, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy.

As I understand the purpose of S. 2030, it is to delay the January 7, 2019, compliance deadline for the latest ceiling fan light kit efficiency standard so as to align it with the January 21, 2020, compliance deadline for ceiling fans overall. Thus the efficiency standards for ceiling fans and for ceiling fan lights will go into force at the same time on January 21, 2020. Is that correct?

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I further understand that, pursuant to current law, because the DOE has not yet promulgated a ceiling fan light kit standard, there are backstop standards that have taken effect. As a part of this backstop, no ceiling fan light kit can be offered for sale in interstate commerce whose lamps use more than 180 watts of electricity.

To ensure this result, ceiling fan light kits are required to include a device that limits lamp efficiency consumption to 190 watts or less. Am I correct in that understanding?

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, again reclaiming my time. I thank the chairman and acknowledge that correction.

I understand that, in preparation for ceiling fan light kit standards going into effect in January 2019, many manufacturers have already switched production and produced kits without the device that limits total lamp consumption to 190 watts or less.

Lighting manufacturers have informed me that the limiting device has been a major source of product failure and that, due to the vast gains in lightbulb technology and a huge drop in the price of highly efficient bulbs, it is no longer necessary to have such a device to keep consumption low.

Unfortunately, because the limiter requirement is tied by statute to the date of enactment of the new standard, technically this bill that is designed to ease regulatory burdens may inadvertently extend for an additional year the 190-watt limiter requirement. I do not believe this is the intent of this body or our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol, in other words, the Senate.

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the chairman for confirming that the provisions of S. 2030 are not intended to delay the change to the 190-watt limiter requirement.

Mr. Speaker, I believe ceiling fan lighting kit manufacturers have acted in good faith in the run-up to the change in the standard and that they should not be penalized for producing light kits without the 190-watt limiting device.

In my view, DOE should take whatever steps are necessary to revise its rules to allow these otherwise compliant kits to be sold and should take no enforcement actions against manufacturers solely because a kit fails to include the 190-watt limiting device.

That doesn't mean the Department should stop all enforcement to ensure compliance with standards for these kits, but it should specifically forgo action against companies for failing to include a limiting device.

Mr. Speaker, I ask if the chairman shares my view.

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I want to thank the chairman for his indulgence in this important clarification of legislative intent.

Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank the chairman and commend my colleagues in both Chambers, specifically Mr. Hudson and Mr. Butterfield, for working on this bill. The legislation enjoys support from both sides of the aisle on this committee; and, in fact, the House version of the bill, H.R. 3477, passed both the Energy Subcommittee and the full Energy and Commerce Committee by a voice vote with almost no debate. Similarly, the Senate companion, which is before us now, passed that body by unanimous consent. I hope that we can do the same today and swiftly send this to the President's desk for his signature.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the passage of S. 2030.

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