Electroindustry Welcomes Enactment of the External Power Supply Improvement Act

ROSSLYN, Va., Jan. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, President Trump signed into law the External Power Supply Improvement Act (EPS), H.R. 518/S. 226. Members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) lighting division commend the authors and co-sponsors who led the effort to pass this bill.

The legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Charlie Dent (R-PA); and in the Senate by Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

"When Congress first directed the Department of Energy to set standards for external power supplies, certain lighting technologies had not been developed," said NEMA President and CEO Kevin J. Cosgriff. "The dynamic innovation within the lighting industry resulted in widespread adoption of light emitting diodes (LED) and organic light emitting diodes (OLED), which were originally categorized as external power supplies. With subsequent development of LED and OLED technology and its rising popularity for previously unanticipated uses, the standards now need to incorporate the latest lighting technology."

According to Cosgriff, having LED drivers available in the marketplace allows for the transition to more energy efficient lighting, decreasing energy use and cost for consumers. Additionally, investment in solid-state lighting technology is significant and growing.  The legislation removes regulatory uncertainty regarding current federal regulations impacting solid state lighting drivers which could have dampened further investments and limit consumer choice.   

The bill clarifies the statutory definition of "external power supplies" set forth in the EPS Act of 2005 and amends the conditions under which the Department of Energy could undertake rulemaking in the future.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents nearly 350 electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers at the forefront of electrical safety, reliability, and resilience, as well as efficiency and energy security. Our combined industries account for 360,000 American jobs in more than 7,000 facilities covering every state. Our industry produces $106 billion shipments of electrical equipment and medical imaging technologies per year with $36 billion exports.

SOURCE National Electrical Manufacturers Association