After years of the Department of Energy dragging its feet on producing new energy efficiency standards for appliances, the Natural Resources Defense Council, two low-income consumers groups and 15 states have forced the agency into action through a settlement issued November 13. The lawsuit contended that the Department of Energy was as much as 13 years behind on issuing new standards. Now, under court order, the DOE will be forced to issue new energy efficiency standards on a strict timetable. "The standards that DOE will issue under this agreement could save enough energy each year to meet the needs of as many as 12 million American households, and avoid the need to build dozens of new electric power plants, according to NRDC." Of course, this news must have seemed very grim to OIRA nominee Susan Dudley, who has historically opposed DOE efforts to raise the energy efficiency of applicances. It might be a sad day for Dudley, but it's certainly a happy one for low-income families faced with skyrocketing energy bills.