Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act: Ministry to table bill at next Parliament sitting, says Nik Nazmi

PETALING JAYA (Aug 1): The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) will be tabling the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (EECA) bill at the next Parliament sitting slated for October this year.

Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said once it comes into force, the EECA bill will be a hallmark legal and regulatory framework for promoting energy efficiency in the country.

“It will be tabled at the next Parliament sitting this year. We hope to at least get it done until second reading,” he told reporters after delivering his keynote address at the International Green Building Conference 2023, today.

Nik Nazmi said the EECA bill has been in the works for many years and it has been reported in March that it was at the research stage and would be finalised before being brought to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and presented to the Cabinet.

“It is an important component for our net-zero (emissions) objective because net-zero not only means Renewable Energy (RE) but also means Energy Efficiency (EE).

“Once you’re more efficient then you will be using less energy and less need to build new power plants which is an important part of the equation (the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere),” he said.

He said the EECA bill is also an important catalyst as other countries have already had some form of energy efficiency legislation.

“We’ve been pushing hard to get it finally to go through Parliament,” said Nik Nazmi.

He said the EECA bill is linked to commercial and industrial competitiveness, energy security benefits, and environmental benefits such as reduced carbon emissions.

It will also include regulating high-energy users, building energy efficiency through building energy intensity labelling and electrical and thermal appliances’ energy performance standards. — Bernama