E-Waste, Energy Efficiency to Remain Before Congress Regardless of Election Outcome, Say Officials

E-waste and energy efficiency will remain on Capitol Hill’s radar even if Republicans regain control of one or both houses of Congress, officials from the CE industry and environmental groups agree. But some of those officials who lobby at the state and local level said a Republican takeover will mean less emphasis on regulation and more stress on market incentives.

E-waste has not been a partisan issue in the states or in Congress, said Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics TakeBack Coalition. Even on the export issue, there has been industry buy-in for a bill that Reps. Gene Green, D-Texas, and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced recently to ban e-waste exports to developing countries, she said. HR-6252 has a Republican sponsor, and if a committee vote on the measure occurs in the lame-duck session of Congress as its sponsors are seeking, it would be “a good indicator of what we can expect” in the next Congress, she said.

Regardless of the composition of the next Congress, the e-waste export issue will have traction because of its national security implications, Kyle said. The U.S. military is backing e-waste export restrictions after revelations by the U.S. Commerce Department that chips from computers illegally exported to China are being counterfeited as military grade chips and sold to the military, she said. “It is coming from this exact pipeline of supply and it’s getting sold back into the military supply chain at a pretty alarming rate.” Samsung, Dell and Apple and green groups are among early supporters of HR-6252.

"Republicans will be less ambitious about the export bill,” said an executive of a CE trade group. If there’s a shift in balance of power on the Hill, it would “probably slow down any movement of that bill,” he said. “It hasn’t really caught fire anyway.” As for getting a comprehensive e-waste bill passed, “it’s going to have to be more of a consensus activity,” the executive said. On energy efficiency, a CE executive said there will “continue to be opportunities to advance” efficiency programs on the Hill, but a change of control of the House will see a “more balanced approach” to the issue.

Energy efficiency is “always going to be interesting for Congress,” but a change in control would also mean a change in the “approach” the lawmakers take, said a retailer executive. “I think the effect is mostly on whether you use a carrot or stick approach.” The executive said he’s more bullish on Congress’s continued support for smart grid technology. He sees traction for the export bill because “there is a growing consensus that we need to make sure that you are not exporting health problems around the world.”

"The e-waste piece I don’t see as a terribly partisan issue,” said an executive of an IT trade group. “It has had bipartisan support in the past with the E-waste Working Group in the House. Energy issues in terms of efficiency at least are mostly a nonpartisan issue.” It’s only with issues like greenhouse gas emissions and carbon pricing that there’s a partisan divide, he said. “But when you are talking about actual efficiency there is broad support in both parties to work on that."

No matter how the governors’ races turn out in the states, “I don’t think e-waste will be on the chopping block,” said an executive of a group representing state legislators. Despite tight budgets, he said, states will continue to move on “product stewardship” initiatives.