Impact of Proposed Increases to Motor Efficiency Performance Standards, Proposed Federal Motor Tax Incentives and Suggested New Directions Forward
Report Number	IE073
Author Info	R. Neal Elliott
Details	Executive Summary (abridged) Motors use more than half the electricity in the United States and over two-thirds of the electricity in the industrial sector. Over the past 20 years, motor efficiency standards have succeeded in transforming the motor marketplace, resulting in significant energy savings and carbon reductions. As a result of the standards that were enacted as part of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct-92), the U.S. now has a motor standard foundation that leads the world. As a result of these standards efforts, motor manufacturers and the motor efficiency community created the voluntary labeling program NEMA Premium® that defined the next step in efficiency. Seven years of promoting Premium motors has resulted in significant market acceptance of these products, representing a significant programmatic success with most large industrial consumers. The federal government has also embraced these products. However, the shift of the motor marketplace to Premium appears to have stalled in recent years as the programs have been unable to significantly impact the original equipment or many of the less sophisticated motor purchasers. As a result, motor manufacturers working through the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and ACEEE, with the support of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP) and Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), have negotiated an agreement to increase the minimum efficiency performance standards (MEPS) for motors covered by EPAct-92 and an expansion of the coverage to many other motors not covered by current law. This agreement has been incorporated into the energy legislation that has been passed by both houses of Congress and is awaiting the conference to resolve the differences between the two bills. The ultimate fate of the overall energy legislation remains uncertain at the time of this writing; none of the uncertainty exists because of these motor provisions. While minor technical differences exist between the House and Senate legislation, both fully embody the standards agreement, and no significant changes to the agreement are anticipated to emerge from the legislative conference. For more of the Executive Summary, click here.
Other Info	25 pp., 2007, IE073 This report is an update of an ACEEE white paper of the same titled released in June 2007. View report for free as a PDF.
Publication Price	$ 20.00 each
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