PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 30, 2009
Establishes the Best-in-Class Appliances Deployment Program to reward retailers for increasing the sales of high-efficiency installed building equipment, consumer electronics, and household appliance models, with the goal of reducing life-cycle costs for consumers, encouraging innovation, and maximizing energy savings.
Requires that the program include: (1) bounties to retailers for replacing and recycling old, inefficient, and environmentally harmful appliances; and (2) bonuses to manufacturers for developing new Superefficient Best-in-Class Products.
Directs the Secretary of Energy to ensure that not more than one bonus payment is provided to distributors and retailers per unit of eligible models sold. Allows the Secretary to make distributors eligible to receive the incentive for sales that are not to end-users in addition to retailers if the Secretary determines that, for a particular product category, distributors are well situated to increase sales of Best-in-Class Products.
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Makes any product that is eligible for an energy efficient appliance tax credit ineligible for a payment to a manufacturer under this Act.
Authorizes the Secretary to require that retailers and distributors disclose publicly and to consumers their participation in the program under this Act.
Directs the Secretary to make cost-effectiveness a top priority in designing and administering this Act, but allows the cost-effectiveness of the rewards to manufacturers, in aggregate, to be lower than that of the rewards to retailers and distributors. Defines "cost-effectiveness" as a measure of aggregate energy cost savings over the life of the product as a ratio to the cost of the rewards.
People & committees
Rep. Harman, Jane [D-CA-36] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Jan 15, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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