On Monday, April 7th, Environment Maine submitted testimony before the state legislature’s Environment and Natural Resources committee in support of LD 1158: An Act to Expand Appliance Energy and Water Standards sponsored by Representative Arthur Bell.
The bill aims to implement energy and water efficiency standards for nine products sold in Maine starting on January 1, 2027. According to analysis from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, if passed, the standards would:
- prevent 2 billion gallons of water from going wasted between now and 2050;
- prevent 286 tons of nitrogen oxide pollution from entering our air by 2050, and
- prevent 3 tons of sulfur dioxide pollution from entering our air by 2050,
Elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide can damage the human respiratory tract and increase a person’s vulnerability to, and the severity of, respiratory infections and asthma. Long-term exposure to high levels of nitrogen dioxide can cause chronic lung disease.
Sulfur dioxide is severely irritating to the eyes, mucous membranes, skin, and respiratory tract. Inhaling even very low concentrations of sulfur dioxide can aggravate chronic pulmonary diseases, such as asthma and emphysema.
If Maine enacts the legislation, it will join Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii in adopting these product efficiency standards.
“Adopting appliance efficiency standards in Maine is a common-sense opportunity to reduce energy waste and make progress towards a greener healthier future,” Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy wrote in the testimony.
