by Brianna Crandall — September 22, 2010—As part of an ongoing commitment to rigorously enforce appliance efficiency requirements, the Department of Energy on September 15 announced 27 new proposed penalties against companies selling products in the United States without certifying that they comply with energy efficiency or water conservation standards.
The 27 companies include manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of appliance, plumbing, and lighting products.
Collectively, the notices propose penalty fees of over $3.5 million, though these fines may be reduced if the companies quickly comply with certification requirements. Unless companies address these claims within thirty days, the Department will file actions to demand payment.
The Department of Energy is reportedly committed to aggressively issuing and enforcing minimum energy and water efficiency levels for products found in American homes and businesses. Under the Obama Administration, the Department has established energy efficiency standards for more than twenty different product categories.
Over the past year, the Department has removed from the market 66 products that failed to meet federal energy efficiency standards; initiated 75 enforcement investigations and actions; and led to the certification of over 600,000 products.
