{"id":383749,"date":"2025-06-19T17:20:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T15:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=383749"},"modified":"2025-06-19T17:20:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T15:20:34","slug":"the-freedom-to-buy-inefficient-products-a-rebuttal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=383749","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Freedom to Buy Inefficient Products\u201d: A Rebuttal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Master Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0<\/em>Mark Krebs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWhen relevant factors are properly considered, the most cost-effective appliances are usually the cheapest to buy and maintain. Super-efficient appliances are super expensive to buy and maintain.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

On June 9, 2025, Andrew Campbell<\/a>, Executive Director of the Energy Institute<\/a> at the Hass School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, published the above-named article.  It is subtitled and summarized by the following: \u201cIf the DOE undoes minimum energy efficiency standards<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which are decades old, consumer costs will likely rise<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This statement is simultaneously vague, inaccurate and misleading. Where should I start debunking this fallacious statement? I suppose I should start with who I am to challenge Berkeley\u2019s Energy Institute at Haas<\/em>. I\u2019m an engineer and energy policy analyst with decades of experience opposing DOE\u2019s minimum energy efficiency standards. This can be easily validated by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Searching for my full name at regulations.gov.[1]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. My archives\u00a0here at\u00a0Master<\/strong>Resource<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Cutting to the chase, in general, DOE\u2019s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE), has long since harvested the low-hanging fruits of improved appliance minimum energy efficiency standards. Over the last two decades, EERE has increasingly resorted to analytical manipulation of \u201ctechnical support documentation\u201d (TSD) that are too heavy to lift, let alone read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Typical EERE TSD\u2019s easily exceed a thousand pages and are based upon \u201cblack box\u201d models that virtually defy independent verification. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is a major contractor to EERE (through its Energy Technologies Area (ETA) divisions<\/a>) and who, in turn, manage an army of private contractors who generate EERE\u2019s analyses. In short, this deep state bureaucracy has a lot of mouths to feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In recent years (i.e., the Biden Administration), the envisioned cornucopia for bureaucratic growth has been the \u201ctransition\u201d to \u201cclean\u201d (renewable) energy through the increased regulation of carbon emissions. This bureaucratic growth potential is graphically summarized as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cTransitioning\u201d energy efficiency to carbon efficiency grows the regulation business<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Source: \u201cElectrification \u2013 What Does It Mean for Energy Efficiency?<\/a>\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    EERE and its technical support apparatus have been proven in court to manipulate its \u201ccost effective\u201d analyses to achieve it legislative hurdles. One case-in-point is its self-serving misuse of \u201crandom assignments,\u201d which effectively assumes that consumers purchase decisions are never<\/u> influenced by the economic consequences of potential investments regardless of the economic stakes<\/em>. These assumptions, buried \u201cdeep in the weeds\u201d of EERE\u2019s models, purposefully skew EERE\u2019s analyses to force-fit predetermined cost-effectiveness objectives.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Another example of easy EERE scenario manipulation is the following comparison of 2011 and 2015 Life Cycle Cost (LCC) spreadsheet cost-saving calculations for non\u2010weatherized residential gas furnaces that EERE was determined to eliminate\u2013at least for the non-condensing variety that most consumers have in their homes:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    The most important observation of the above chart is the wild variation of percentage change between a few short years where gas prices were actually decreasing. Well over a thousand percent change in many cases. Let that sink in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Getting back to the subtitle of Campbell\u2019s article, \u201cIf the DOE undoes minimum energy efficiency standards, which are decades old, consumer costs will likely rise,\u201d total life-cycle consumer costs effectiveness of EERE minimum appliance efficiencies\u201d bear the brunt of bureaucratic empire building and mission creep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sure, EERE must collect public comments on all its minimum appliance energy efficiency \u201cproposals,\u201d but the division unilaterally determines what to do. At the end of the Day, EERE issues a \u201cFinal Rule\u201d for a given proposed minimum appliance efficiency \u201cimprovement.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Effectively challenging a \u201cFinal Rule\u201d is definitely<\/em> not for the faint of heart. Historically, EERE\u2019s legal defense is effectively unlimited through representation through the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the technical\/analytical support of the aforementioned deep state bureaucracy, as well as the usual suspects of well-funded energy efficiency advocates) e.g., NRDC, ACEEE, etc.). The latter is pictorially summarized as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The cosmology of energy codes & standards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When relevant factors are properly considered, the most cost-effective appliances are usually the cheapest to buy and maintain. Super-efficient appliances are super expensive to buy and maintain.  In the real world, for example, one failed $0.50 capacitor in the computerized motherboard of a super-efficient furnace or whatever, can easily destroy any perceived\/potential opportunity for consumer lifetime monetary savings.  Given its repeated manipulative propensities, EERE has proven to be incapable of serving the best interests of consumers and deserves to be eliminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mark Krebs <\/strong>(markedwardkrebs@gmail.com), a mechanical engineer and energy policy consultant, has worked in energy efficiency design and program evaluation for well over thirty years. Mark has served as an expert witness and\/or commenter in scores of State and Federal energy efficiency proceedings and has been an advisor to DOE. Mark, a Principal<\/a> at MasterResource, has authored dozens of articles<\/a> on natural gas vs. electricity and \u201cDeep Decarbonization\u201d policy. Recently retired from Spire Inc., Krebs has formed an energy policy consultancy, Gas Analytic & Advocacy Services (GAAS) with other veteran energy analysts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    [1]<\/a> Filter by selecting \u201cEnergy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    [2]<\/a> For more information of the EERE\u2019s \u201crandom assignment\u201d analytical cheating, simply put the term \u201crandom assignment\u201d:into the Master<\/strong>Resource\u201d search box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u201cWhen relevant factors are properly considered, the most cost-effective appliances are usually the cheapest to buy and maintain. Super-efficient appliances are super expensive to buy and maintain.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":383758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691835918,691835919,691831891,691819094,691822741],"class_list":{"0":"post-383749","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-energy-efficiency-and-renewable-energy-office-eere","9":"tag-energy-efficiency-standards","10":"tag-life-cycle-cost-lcc","11":"tag-renewable-green-energy","12":"tag-u-s-department-of-energy-doe","14":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0Energy-efficient-Appliances-1-1140x693-1.jpg?fit=1140%2C693&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1BPv","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":353794,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=353794","url_meta":{"origin":383749,"position":0},"title":"Abusive DOE Energy Efficiency Policy Archives (60+ articles)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/12\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIt is our sincere hope that the incoming Trump Administration, the Department of Energy, the newly formed National Energy Council and\/or its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) make use of these resources in considering what to overhaul and what to scrap.\u201d","rel":"","context":"In \"Department of Energy (DOE)\"","block_context":{"text":"Department of Energy (DOE)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=department-of-energy-doe"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0Department-Of-Government-Efficiency-1-1-1536x864-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0Department-Of-Government-Efficiency-1-1-1536x864-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0Department-Of-Government-Efficiency-1-1-1536x864-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0Department-Of-Government-Efficiency-1-1-1536x864-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0Department-Of-Government-Efficiency-1-1-1536x864-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":324423,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=324423","url_meta":{"origin":383749,"position":1},"title":"Biden: If you like your appliances, you can\u2019t keep them","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"27\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the name of supposed efficiency and saving the planet from the fatuous prediction of a 1.5-degree average temperature increase in the next 26 years (give or take), the Biden administration has, from its beginning, declared war on Americans\u2019 household appliances. 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(who really led the effort), and a gas appliance manufacturer, Thermo Products LLC (a subsidiary of Burnham holdings), rose to the occasion with a filing that put DOE on notice that the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0biden-putin-oil.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0biden-putin-oil.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0biden-putin-oil.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/0biden-putin-oil.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":336255,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=336255","url_meta":{"origin":383749,"position":5},"title":"23 State Coalition Challenges New Federal Regulations on Washing Machines","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/07\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is leading a 23-state coalition of attorneys general opposing another Biden administration regulation on home appliances, this time on washing machines.","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/0washing-machine-943363_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/0washing-machine-943363_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/0washing-machine-943363_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/0washing-machine-943363_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/0washing-machine-943363_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=383749"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":383759,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/383749\/revisions\/383759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/383758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=383749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=383749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=383749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}