{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=426688dd-1b97-474f-b209-c25aef37ea7d", "Hoeven, Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce the Water Heater Efficiency Act", "2013-11-20", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "ND", "John Hoeven", "H001061", "www.hoeven.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.13\n\t\t\t Hoeven, Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce the Water Heater Efficiency Act \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and a bipartisan group of senators today introduced the Water Heater Efficiency Act, an energy conservation bill that would enable rural electric power cooperatives and their members to continue using large, energy-efficient water heaters in \u201cdemand response\u201d conservation programs. Cosponsors of the bill include senators Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).\r\nThe legislation comes in reaction to new Department of Energy (DOE) rules that would phase out such water heaters by 2015; however, the senators say the new rules do not take into account the value of these water heaters to both consumers and the electrical cooperatives that serve them throughout rural America.\r\nDemand-response programs use off-peak electricity to conserve energy and reduce costs to consumers. The programs also help electrical cooperatives to manage load during periods of peak demand. Additionally, in areas where wind and solar are in the energy mix, the programs can help integrate renewable energy into the grid by enabling power to be stored under conditions when renewable sources are not producing power.\r\nSpecifically, the bill would allow the continued manufacture of large \u201cgrid-enabled\u201d electric-resistance water heaters only for use in electric thermal storage or demand response programs. It would also require \u201cgrid-enabled water heaters\u201d to have a volume of more than 75 gallons, be energy efficient and work on grids that have a demand response program.\r\n\u201cConservation programs use energy thoughtfully and wisely, with multiple benefits,\u201d Hoeven said. \u201cOur water heater legislation saves consumers money, helps rural electric cooperatives optimize their energy management and benefits the environment because the water heaters in the program are required to be energy efficient. That\u2019s good for consumers and good for the country.\u201d\r\n\u201cBy using large, energy-efficient water heaters, our rural cooperatives have reduced costs for members and better managed energy use,\u201d Pryor said. \u201cThis bill ensures cooperatives are able to continue taking advantage of these cost-effective programs. It\u2019s just common-sense.\u201d\r\n\u201cUtilities\u2019 demand-response programs increase the integration of renewable resources, decrease peak demand, and help stabilize the grid, all while lowering the cost of electricity to rural communities,\u201d said Chambliss. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to join my colleagues in cosponsoring legislation that will allow electric cooperatives and other utilities to continue to operate and expand their demand-response programs.\u201d\r\n\u201cConservation doesn\u2019t just mean a more efficient use of resources, it means lower prices for consumers in rural communities,\u201d Klobuchar said. \u201cThis legislation will help ensure that rural electric providers can continue to provide efficient, reliable electricity to the farms and small businesses that fuel economic growth in Minnesota and across the country.\u201d\r\nScott Handy is the president of Cass County Electric Cooperative, which serves a 10-county rural area in south eastern North Dakota. He said the DOE\u2019s presumption is that rural residents will have access to natural gas, which is not the case in rural areas like Cass.\r\n\u201cSenator Hoeven\u2019s amendment is important,\u201d Handy said. \u201cTo date we have more than 1,200 large-capacity, energy efficient water heaters enrolled in our program, and we\u2019re adding them at a pace of about 200 a year. Those households are paying about one half the retail rate of electricity, helping our members save money and helping us to better manage the grid during periods of peak and off-peak demand.\u201d\r\n\u201cWe are very appreciative of what Senator Hoeven is proposing in this amendment,\u201d said Mike Eggl, Basin Electric Power Cooperative\u2019s senior vice president for External Affairs. \u201cMany Basin Electric members, particularly in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, use electric-resistance water heaters for demand response programs. It\u2019s a critical appliance that helps co-ops lower their peak demand during the day. We want to thank Sen. Hoeven for his efforts.\u201d\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.hoeven.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=426688dd-1b97-474f-b209-c25aef37ea7d"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3607949949800968, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}