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EMBARGOED NEW RELEASE
Wednesday, January 3, 2001

CONTACTS:
Andrew deLaski, ASAP, 617-363-9470 or
David Nemtzow, Alliance to Save Energy, 202-857-0666

"President Clinton , Please Don't Drop the Ball….
on air conditioning standards"

Coalition Calls on President Clinton to Improve Air Conditioner Efficiency

ENERGY DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION WOULD ELIMINATE NEED FOR DOZENS OF NEW POWER PLANTS, CUT POLLUTION AND SAVE CONSUMERS MONEY

BOSTON; WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A consumer, environmental, state government and utility coalition today launched a newspaper advertisement calling on President Clinton to approve strong new air conditioner energy efficiency standards. The ad runs today in the Washington Post.

"President Clinton's decision on this standard will have long-lasting consequences for how our nation solves electric reliability problems, for our environment and for consumers' utility bills," said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, the coalition group.

By approving Energy Secretary Richardson's proposal for a 30% stronger standard, President Clinton would eliminate the need to build as many as 120 large power plants over the next twenty years. He would cut global warming carbon emissions by 180 million metric tons, an amount equal to the lifetime emissions of 12.3 million cars. Consumers would save $5 billion per year on utility bills.

"President Clinton's administration has been working on this standard since 1993," said David Nemtzow, President of the Alliance to Save Energy. "It's time for President Clinton to deliver energy savings and pollution cuts for the American people."

Some, including air conditioner manufacturers, have urged that the Energy Department's proposed standard be weakened. A watered down standard would "foist the expense and environmental consequences of building dozens of unnecessary power plants on the American public," says the advertisement.

The ad will be posted on ASAP's web site at www.standardsASAP.org/wpad2.pdf on Wednesday, January 3, 2001. ASAP's sponsors include the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and National Environmental Trust.

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The Appliance Standards Awareness Project is dedicated to increasing understanding of and support for national appliance and equipment energy efficiency standards. ASAP is sponsored by leading environmental groups, consumer groups and state government and utilities.