Air conditioners are one of 23 home products soon required to be revamped in the U.S. . Photo Credit:

apoptotic / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

According to a new report released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEE , Americans could eliminate 158 million tons of greenhouse gas per year by 2030 - that's the equivalent of shutting down 63 large coal-fired power plants - and $123 billion, by changing the way some of our most common household appliances work.

This is old news to many of the folks at California Energy Commission , who have pushed for such changes for decades. But the real news is that these aren't just recommendations anymore. They're policy, or soon will be.

According to the ACEE, the Obama Administration plans to revamp 23 common household products - everything from battery chargers and clothes dryers to air conditioners - by requiring that manufacturers make more energy-efficient models. The ACEE report (no doubt intended to put a little wind into the White House's sails) adds to the story by calculating just what a difference those changes would collectively make.

For background, check out two of our recent Quest Radio stories, Air Conditioning Reinvented, and Let's Weatherize. You can also read the whole ACEE report, after registering (it's free) with the ACEE.

[ad fullwidth]

37.762611 -122.409719

News Daily Newsletter

The Bay

Emma’s Must-Sees

Videos from KQED Live

Donor-Advised Funds

lawlaw

Postpone that Home Depot trip, Household appliances are getting a makeover