Faced With Lawsuit, Energy Dept. Agrees To Set Appliance Efficiency Rules

The Energy Department will set energy-efficiency standards for 22 different kinds of appliances over the next 4-1/2 years, under a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council, consumer groups, and 15 states. A 1975 law requires DOE to set and revise such standards periodically, but the Bush administration had virtually stopped doing so. Steven Mufson reports in the Washington Post 11/14/06.