Not even trying

I've been interested in alternative energy since I was in my teens, and that interest has grown with the awareness of global warming. I see so many potential steps that can be taken toward addressing the problem. But the easiest, cheapest step is simple increasing efficiency. So my head nearly exploded when I read this article:http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/030507P.shtml

All told, the Department of Energy has missed
every one of 34 mandatory rule-making deadlines for setting minimum energy
efficiency standards involving 20 products including refrigerators, dishwashers,
freezers, pool heaters, furnaces and central air conditioners, analysts at the
Government Accountability Office reported.

(snip)Analysts at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory calculated that the missed
deadlines for just four of the more popular appliances would ultimately cost
consumers at least $28 billion in forgone energy savings - equivalent to the
annual primary energy consumption of about 20 million households.

This isn't rocket science or super-duper new technology. This is easily
achieved with equipment already on the market. It's not politically
difficult (as opposed to raising CAFE standards for automobiles), so where
the hell is the accountability? Where the hell is the enforcement?