Environmental Standards For Appliances
Current law establishes water and energy efficiency standards (standards) for certain appliances and fixtures sold in Colorado. Sections 1 through 7 of the bill expand the appliances and fixtures that are subject to the standards and update the standards.
Specifically, section 4 updates standards for certain appliances and fixtures that are sold in Colorado on and after certain dates, including:
- Showerheads, urinals, water closets, and certain faucets
and urinals; - Certain lamps;
- Commercial hot food holding cabinets;
- Portable electric spas;
- Residential ventilating fans; and
- Spray sprinkler bodies.
2024, 2026, including:
- Air purifiers;
- Commercial ovens;
- Electric storage water heaters;
- Electric vehicle supply equipment;
- Gas fireplaces;
- Irrigation controllers;
- Tub spout diverters and showerhead tub spout diverter combinations;
and - Certain residential windows, residential doors, and residential skylights; and
- Thermostats.
(executive director) (department) to promulgate rules on or before January 1, 2026, and every 5 years thereafter:
Adopting a more recent version of any standard; and- Establishing standards for appliances and other devices that are not subject to the standards if certain conditions are met.
conduct periodic, unannounced inspections of major distributors or retailers, including online retailers, of new products in order to determine verify major retailers' and distributors' compliance with the standards through online spot-checks, coordination with other states that have similar standards, or both. The executive director must deliver a report to the legislative committees of reference concerning the method and findings of the verifications, post the report on the department's website, and report any findings of violations to the attorney general.
Under current law, any person who sells or offers to sell in the state any new consumer product that is required to meet an efficiency standard but that the person knows does not meet that standard is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $2,000 for each violation, which amount is credited to the general fund. Section 7 credits any penalties imposed to the energy fund created in the Colorado energy office rather than to the general fund and specifies that each transaction or online for-sale product listing constitutes a separate violation.
- On and after January 1,
2024,2025, a person shall not manufacture, distribute, sell, or offer for sale in Colorado anynewlinear florescent lamp or compact fluorescent lamp.with a screw- or bayonet-type base; and On and after January 1, 2025, a person shall not manufacture, distribute, sell, or offer for sale in Colorado any linear fluorescent lamp or any compact fluorescent lamp with a pin-type base.
2025, 2026, a person shall not manufacture, distribute, sell, offer for sale, lease, or offer for lease in Colorado any new water heater boiler, or fan-type central furnace unless the emissions of the product do not exceed certain limits on emissions. On or before January 1, 2029, the air quality control commission in the department of public health and environment must promulgate rules lowering the emission limits. Section 9 also requires manufacturers to use certain testing protocols, display certain information on each product, and demonstrate compliance through one of various 2 described means.conduct periodic, unannounced inspections of major distributors or retailers, including online retailers, of new products to determine compliance and to report violations to the attorney general. verify major retailers' and distributors' compliance with the prohibitions through online spot-checks, coordination with other states that have similar standards, or both. The executive director must deliver a report to the legislative committees of reference concerning the method and findings of the verifications, post the report on the department's website, and report any findings of violations to the attorney general. If the attorney general has probable cause to believe that a violation occurred, the attorney general may bring a civil action on behalf of the state to seek the imposition of civil penalties, and any civil penalties are to be deposited in the energy fund.
For the 2023-24 state fiscal year, the bill appropriates $49,730 to the department from the general fund to be used by the department as follows:
- $5,848 for use by the division of environmental health and sustainability for administration and support; and
- $43,882 for the purchase of legal services, which amount is reappropriated to the department of law to provide legal services for the department.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)