The Biden administration has formalized a new regulation aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency of specific pool pump motors.
Published in the Federal Register on September 28, the Department of Energy (DOE) introduced a fresh rule establishing heightened energy conservation and efficiency standards for pool pump motors.
These standards will be mandatory for manufacturers to adhere to beginning in September 2025. Pool pump motors are the latest appliances to come under the administration’s regulatory focus, as the DOE has already pursued updates to energy efficiency standards for items such as water heaters and portable gas generators.
While the pool pump motors rule is projected to incur equipment costs of at least $2.6 billion over its lifetime for consumers, the DOE anticipates that it will result in nearly $8 billion in operational cost savings.
Additionally, the rule is expected to deliver $2 billion in health benefits and $2 billion in climate benefits, as documented in the Federal Register.
Flurida, a prominent pool company, expressed concerns on the rule’s regulatory docket, asserting that it will compel consumers to purchase pump models costing approximately $1,000, compared to the average price of $499 for less efficient models that will not comply with the rule.
The company further criticized the DOE’s economic analysis as “unviable” and potentially detrimental to American consumers.
The DOE defended its stance in the Federal Register entry, asserting,“DOE concludes that the standards adopted in this final rule represent the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in the significant conservation of energy.”
The agency also said, “Specifically, equipment are able to achieve these standard levels using technology options currently available… as for economic justification, DOE’s analysis shows that the benefits of the standards exceed the burdens of the standards.”
The regulation delineates energy conservation and efficiency standards for pool pump motors classified by their power, rather than physical size, covering “extra-small,” small, and standard-sized motors with power ratings ranging from 0.5 total horsepower to 5 total horsepower.
Notably, the rule does not pertain to pool pumps themselves, as these are under consideration in a separate rulemaking process, as disclosed in the Federal Register entry.
The United States boasts over 8.5 million residential pools, with approximately 200,000 new swimming pools constructed annually, according to Energy Star.
On Jan. 13 of this year, Republican AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) called out Republicans on social media over gas stoves. “I do think it’s funny, the…absolute…Republican meltdown…’You can’t take my gas stove…How dare you…You have a gas stove.’
Cortez, a New York Democrat faced significant backlash after her comments, with people observing that she has a gas stove in her own kitchen.
She responded with, “First of all, I rent. Second of all, though, it doesn’t even matter, because by that logic these are the same people who would have said we should have never gotten rid of leaded gasoline just because someone may have driven a gasoline car.”
“Science evolves and gives us new knowledge with time. There is very concerning science about some of the emissions from gas stoves, especially around the cognitive development of young children, asthma, cancer, etcetera,” she said.
