【正文】 criteria incorporate credit for smart grid capability and a package of targeted tax credits aimed at fostering the market for superefficient appliances.While DOE or Congress can act on the standards, the extension of the manufacturers39。 tax credit for superefficient appliances requires new legislation. EPA and DOE will consider the remendation to jumpstart the smart grid through incentives for the deployment of smart appliances through the Energy Star program.As part of the new refrigerator standards, ice maker energy consumption also will be reflected in product energyuse ratings. We appreciate that DOE has moved so quickly to adopt the agreedupon standards, said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. The consensus standards not only save consumers a huge amount of energy and money, they also save DOE the energy, time, and money that a contentious rulemaking process can require.The appliance industry has a strong history in reaching agreement with a broad base of energy and water efficiency advocates, as well as consumer groups, to develop energy conservation standards for home appliances, said Joseph McGuire, president of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. The new minimum energy standards are a significant part of the agreement, as is the extension of the current superefficient manufacturers39。 tax credits, which we are urging Congress to act on, and a soontobesubmitted petition to Energy Star on smart appliances. This big step forward for refrigerator efficiency proves that the well of innovation leading to energy savings is very, very deep, said David B.Goldstein, energy program director for the Natural Resource Defense Council: These standards pave the way for manufacturer investments in a next generation of products that demonstrate everincreasing energy and cost savings. Even though refrigerators have bee much more energy efficient, they still account for about 10 percent of household electricity use, observed Alliance Vice President for Programs Jeffrey Harris. With the new standards, consumers will not only save energy, they39。ll also have a better picture of total energy use, because the ratings will include automatic ice makers.This kind of joint remendation can expedite new standards, said Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy. By moving quickly to adopt the agreement, DOE encourages all parties who are willing to work in a collaborative way to agree on new standards.【返回目錄】Another round of steel Price rise any time印度鋼鐵原材料價(jià)格新一輪提升印度各大鋼鐵公司近期均提升了鋼鐵原材料價(jià)格，SAIL印度鋼鐵管理局有限公司上周板材價(jià)格每噸增長(zhǎng)了1000盧比，長(zhǎng)材鋼每噸價(jià)格增長(zhǎng)1200盧比；Bhushan公司每噸提升1500盧比，提升幅度達(dá)3%。而受洪水的影響澳大利亞昆士蘭的焦炭?jī)r(jià)格也將持續(xù)攀升，本季度已達(dá)到225美元一噸，下季度預(yù)計(jì)會(huì)漲到250美元一噸。Nittin Johari, director (finance), Bhushan Steel, when asked when this might happen, said: Any time...I dont think we will wait for February. He said they were looking to raise prices by `1,000 a tonne, slightly less than three per cent.Jayant Acharya, director (sales and marketing), JSW Steel, said, There is a case for a further price hike but we haven’t decided on the time as yet. He said long steel (used in infrastructure and construction。 flat steel is used in automobiles and white goods) was mostly sold in the spot market and prices for these had an upward bias. Ankit Miglani, director (mercial), Uttam Galva, a leading autograde steel maker said, Yes, there will be a hike in February, although, it will be lesser than the earlier hike of `2,5003,000 a tonne. Steel Authority of India (SAIL), Indias largest maker, told Business Standard the next rise depends on market conditions and raw material prices. Its spokesperson said raw materials, especially coking coal prices, were on the upswing.Anil Suraj, an analyst based in Mandi Gobindgarh, Indias largest steel sale market yard, said, Prices have risen by `5,000 a tonne since the last week of December. Postmonsoon construction activities started with over a months lag.Since prices of raw materials like iron ore, shredded scrap and coking coal have been continuously rising for nearly two months, with prospects of rising further in the wake of supply disruption from Australia, prices are set to rise further in the weeks ahead.Analysts believe the flood situation in Australias Queensland will worsen coking coal prices, already touching $225 a tonne for the current quarter and expected to reach $250 a tonne in contract prices for the ing quarters. The spot prices of coking coal have already touched $250 a tonne. Prasad Baji of Edelweiss said, There is ground for a steel price hike, as after a long time we are seeing a situation that Indian prices are at a discount to the international ones.Baji said long steel prices have in fact gone up by more than that of flat steel and there might be a case that steel makers may increase prices in January itself. He said, In December, steel makers had raised prices in the middle of the month, so we dont see why they will wait for February to raise prices. They might increase in the third or fourth week of January.Last week, SAIL had raised prices by `1,000 a tonne on flat steel and `1,200 a tonne on long steel. JSW Steel had raised prices by fourfive per cent across its range of steel products. Uttam Glava, too, had raised prices and Bhushan Steel raised prices by `1,500 a tonne in two tranches, first by `500 a tonne, followed by `1000 a tonne. 【返回目錄】13 / 1