Home >> Public Policy >> General Public Policy >> Energy Bill: SGMA Applauds DST Extension, Sees Increase in Outdoor Activity

Energy Bill: SGMA Applauds DST Extension, Sees Increase in Outdoor Activity

The long awaited Energy bill recently passed Congress, containing language to begin daylight savings time one week earlier in the Spring and extend it three weeks in the Fall beginning in 2007. This new policy would effectively expand daylight savings a month beyond the current April to October timeframe. The purpose of the proposed change is energy conservation as the U.S. Department of Transportation has estimated a 1 percent reduction in electricity usage each day that daylight savings time is in effect.

The additional month of extended daylight will provide greater opportunities for Americans to participate in outdoor recreational activities. Many sports leagues schedule seasons to coincide with daylight savings to allow for practices and games during daylight hours. Biking, running, golf, tennis and other outdoor activities traditionally decline with the ending of daylight savings time. The additional thirty days of daylight will extend the outdoor season and are expected to boost demand for recreational equipment and apparel.

The sporting goods industry was behind the initial daylight savings movement back in 1918 as a way to encourage participation in outdoor activities and enhance consumer spending on sports equipment. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association applauds Congressional efforts to extend daylight savings further, believing that in addition to preserving energy resources, it will also encourage activity, increase fitness levels, promote active lifestyles and result in additional consumption of sporting goods.