The Biden administration has finalized energy efficiency regulations targeting gas stoves as part of a broader climate change initiative, but withdrew a more aggressive proposal it announced last year after drawing significant criticism.
The Department of Energy (DOE) released the final rule on Monday after nearly 12 months of feedback from consumer advocacy groups, industry groups, and climate change activist groups. The regulations, scheduled to go into effect in early 2028, reflect a compromise reached last year by stakeholders including the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), a major U.S. trade group representing consumer electronics manufacturers.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement: “President Biden is committed to the administration’s commitment to lowering costs for American households and creating healthier communities, including energy efficiency measures like the ones announced today. “We are committed to using every tool at our disposal.”
“DOE is committed to working with industry partners and stakeholders throughout 2024 to continue strengthening consumer electronics standards, and we remain committed to ensuring that Congress is delaying $1 trillion in consumer savings reaching Americans.” We will address the backlog of mandated energy efficiency measures,” Granholm continued. .
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Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm spoke at a press conference at the White House. ((Photo by: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP) (Photo by: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images))
On February 1, 2023, the DOE released an initial proposal that would go into effect in 2027 and impact an astonishing 50% of current gas stove models. DOE argued that such regulations should be enacted under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which mandates energy efficiency rules without compromising consumer choice.
In response, Republicans and consumer advocacy groups accused the Biden administration of pushing for a regulatory regime that would limit consumer choice and lead to higher prices. They also criticized the Department of Energy for trying to force Americans to electrify their homes to reduce emissions and combat global warming.
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In June, the House of Representatives passed the Gas Stove Preservation Act on a bipartisan vote of 249-181. The bill, which has not yet been voted on by the full Senate, would prevent the DOE from implementing stricter conservation standards for stoves.
But AHAM and other industry groups opposed to the February 2023 proposal announced a compromise with climate change advocates in September that would set less aggressive energy efficiency targets for stoves and other appliances. recommended. The DOE said last year it backed the recommendation and withdrew the proposal.
The Department of Energy on Monday largely retracted its original gas stove proposal from early last year. (AP Photo/Thomas Kientzl, File)
“We have been able to settle on an energy level that maintains the functionality and performance that consumers rely on every day,” said AHAM spokesperson Gilles Notini. I was able to do it,” he said. Monday on FOX News Digital.
“We think this is a win for consumers. We’re keeping the features that we felt would be lost in our original proposal and all the things we were very concerned about. “We’ve been able to ensure that all of that remains in place and is reflected in product design through standards,” she added.
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Specifically, under the 2023 proposal, the DOE would ban future sales of gas stoves that consume more than 1,204,000 British thermal units (kBtu) per year. The rules finalized Monday ban the sale of stoves that produce more than 1,770 kilobytes per year, a major change.
Last year’s proposal affected 50% of gas stove models, but the final regulation affected only 3%.
President Biden has broadly promoted aggressive regulatory policies targeting popular consumer electronics products. (Nicole Neri/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Andrew DeLasky, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said Monday that while there were disagreements over the DOE’s original proposal, stakeholders ultimately “came together to resolve it.”
Still, consumer advocacy groups have expressed concern that the finalized rules do not include enough consumer input and also target the DOE’s sweeping authority to issue such regulations. ing.
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“Reasonable regulation is better than unreasonable regulation,” Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Institute for Competitive Enterprise, said in an interview on Fox News Digital.
“But in applying the standards, I think there should be no efficiency regulations, and certainly no regulations that could prevent the use of gas stoves,” Lieberman said. “So while this is a step in the right direction, I think the ultimate goal should be to abolish regulators and put the responsibility back on the consumer.”
