H.R. 4850: Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act

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H.R. 4850: Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act

112th Congress · introduced 2012-04-26 · Energy · Latest: Message on Senate action sent to the House.

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Official title

Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act

Plain summary

Enabling Energy Saving Innovations Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to exempt a walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer component manufactured on or after January 1, 2009, from the requirement that it contain wall, ceiling, and door insulation of at least R-25 for coolers and R-32 for freezers, if the manufacturer has demonstrated to the Secretary of Energy (DOE) that such component reduces energy consumption at least as much as if such requirement were to apply. (Sec. 3) Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to publish a rule that establishes a uniform efficiency descriptor and accompanying test methods for covered water heaters (water heaters, storage water heaters, instantaneous water heaters, and unfired water storage tanks). Declares that the purpose of such rule is to replace with a uniform efficiency descriptor: (1) the energy factor descriptor for water heaters established under such Act; and (2) the thermal efficiency and standby loss descriptors for storage water heaters, instantaneous water heaters, and unfired water storage tanks established under such rule. Requires the efficiency standard for covered water heaters to be denominated according to the efficiency descriptor established by such rule. Requires the Secretary to develop a mathematical conversion factor for converting the measurement of efficiency for such heaters from the test procedures in effect on this Act's enactment to the new energy descriptor established under this Act. Considers a covered water heater to be in compliance with such rule and with any revised labeling requirements established by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to implement such rule if the covered water heater: (1) was manufactured prior to the effective date of the rule, and (2) complied with the efficiency standards and labeling requirements in effect prior to the rule. (Sec. 4) Establishes energy efficiency standards for daily energy consumption of service over the counter, self-contained, medium temperature commercial refrigerators. (Sec. 5) Establishes energy efficiency standards for through-the-wall central air conditioners, through-the-wall central air conditioning heat pumps, and small duct, high velocity systems. Requires the Secretary to: (1) provide notice on whether energy efficiency standards for specified commercial heating and cooling equipment will be amended every six years, (2) evaluate each class of such equipment, (3) provide notice of a decision to grant or deny a petition to amend energy conservation standards, and (4) publish a rule that contains new or amended energy conservation standards every three years. (Sec. 6) Requires the Secretary, in determining whether an energy efficiency standard for such equipment is economically justified, to determine whether the benefits exceed the burden of the proposed standard considering specified factors, including: (1) the economic impact on the manufacturers and consumers of the product; (2) the savings in operating costs throughout the estimated average life of the product compared to any increase in the price of, or in the initial charges for, or maintenance expenses of, the product; (3) the total projected quantity of energy savings; (4) any lessening of the utility or the performance of the product; (5) the impact of any lessening of competition; and (6) the need for national energy conservation. Prohibits the Secretary from prescribing any amended standard for such a product: (1) that increases the maximum allowable energy use, or decreases the minimum required energy efficiency, of the product; or (2) if the Secretary finds that interested persons have established that a standard is likely to result in the unavailability in the United States in any product type of performance characteristics that are substantially the same as those generally currently available. Title II: Industrial Energy Efficiency - (Sec. 201) Requires the Secretary, as part of the research and development activities of DOE's Industrial Technologies Program, to establish collaborative research and development partnerships with other programs within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Science that: (1) leverage the research and development expertise of such programs to promote early stage energy efficiency technology development; (2) support the use of innovative manufacturing processes and applied research for development, demonstration, and commercialization of new technologies and processes to improve efficiency (including improvements in efficient use of water), reduce emissions, reduce industrial waste, and improve industrial cost-competitiveness; and (3) apply the knowledge and expertise of such Program to achieve the goals of such other programs. Requires the Secretary to report on such partnerships biennially. (Sec. 202) Requires the Secretary to conduct a study and report on: (1) legal, regulatory, and economic barriers to the deployment of industrial energy efficiency in all electricity markets; (2) examples of state and federal policies and private initiatives that resulted in greater use of industrial energy efficiency and of cost-effective policies used by foreign countries to foster industrial energy efficiency; (3) estimated economic benefits to the national economy of providing the industrial sector with federal energy efficiency matching grants of $5 billion for 5- and 10-year periods; and (4) estimated energy savings available from increased use of recycled material in energy-intensive manufacturing process. Requires the Secretary, in coordination with the industrial sector, to develop policy recommendations regarding the deployment of industrial energy efficiency, including proposed regulatory guidance to states and relevant federal agencies to address such barriers. (Sec. 203) Requires the Secretary to arrange with the National Academy of Sciences to study the development of advanced manufacturing capabilities for various energy technologies. (Sec. 204) Requires the Secretary to establish an advisory steering committee that includes national trade associations representing energy-intensive industries or energy service providers to provide recommendations on planning and implementation of DOE's Industrial Technologies Program. Title III: Federal Agency Energy Efficiency - (Sec. 301) Authorizes the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), for any public building project for which congressional approval has been received and the design completed, but the construction of which has not begun, to use appropriated funds to update the building's design to meet energy efficiency and other standards for new federal buildings. Prohibits funds for such purpose from exceeding 125% of the estimated energy or other cost savings associated with the updates as determined by a life-cycle cost analysis under the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA). (Sec. 302) Amends NECPA to require the Secretary to develop and report on best practices for the use of advanced metering of energy use in federal facilities, buildings, and equipment. (Sec. 303) Directs energy managers of federal facilities covered under NECPA to use a web-based tracking system to publish energy and water consumption data on an individual facility basis. (Sec. 304) Includes direct and thermal energy within the meaning of "renewable energy" for the purposes of federal purchase requirements under such Act. Provides that renewable energy produced at a federal facility, on federal land, or on Indian land: (1) shall be calculated (on a BTU-equivalent basis) separately from renewable energy used, and (2) may be used individually or in combination to comply with the federal purchase requirement. (Sec. 305) Requires the Secretary to study and report on the feasibility of a government-wide data center consolidation, with an overall federal target of a minimum of 800 federal data center closures by October 1, 2015.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr4850.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr4850 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112