The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted unanimously last month in favor of a bill from Rep. Arthur Bell (D-Yarmouth) that would prohibit the sale of an array of new appliances that fail to comply with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules.
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“At its heart this bill is about efficiency: efficient use of dollars spent on electricity, gas and water. This bill will save Maine ratepayers approximately $3 million annually in 2030, and up to $9 million annually in 2040. These are dollars which will stay in the Maine economy. This bill is taking money out of the hands of utility companies and putting it back in the hands of our citizens,” said Rep. Bell during his testimony on the bill.
“One key point to highlight is no used products or their sales are affected by this bill. All currently owned products may be used and repaired for as long as the owner likes. Products do not need to be proactively changed out and existing products are not affected by this bill in any way. We only address the sale and installation of new products,” he added.
Bell’s LD 1158 drew support from four Democratic co-sponsors and one independent, Rep. Bill Pluecker (I-Warren), who typically aligns with Democrats.
The bill grants the DEP the authority to regulate and prohibit the sale of certain types of appliances manufactured beginning January 2027, which do not meet the water and energy efficiency standards they set.
The initial draft of the bill would have allowed the DEP to prohibit the sale of nine new categories of appliances that failed to meet efficiency standards: commercial battery chargers, commercial dishwashers, commercial food steamers, commercial fryers, commercial ovens, computer server power supplies, gas fireplaces, residential ventilating fans, and water softeners.
Violations of the prohibition would result in a civil fine of up to $100.
The bill applies only to newly manufactured appliances and would not affect the sale of used products.
Multiple environmental groups testified in support of the new regulations during its public hearing, including the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
“In setting these requirements, Maine households and businesses will not only aid in achieving a marked reduction in the state’s carbon and other pollutants but will also benefit from an improvement in the usefulness of the covered appliances and from a reduction in utility bills. In fact, if the proposed standards are enacted, Maine consumers and businesses would see $169 million in utility bill savings by 2050,” they said.
Notably, the DEP testified neither for nor against the bill, generally supporting the bill’s goal but raising concerns that gas fireplaces and water softeners, unlike the other products listed, do not have widely available models that would meet efficiency standards.
“For these, the Department has some concern regarding product availability and the additional cost to purchase compliant products even though these products may ultimately provide significant savings along with environmental dividends,” said the DEP.
During the work session, the committee voted “ought to pass as amended” unanimously, including an amendment to remove water softeners and gas fireplaces from the list of regulated appliances.
The bill appears extremely likely to pass through the legislature, given the unanimous, bipartisan “ought to pass” vote in the committee.
As Maine moves towards further restricting the appliances everyday Mainers can use, President Donald Trump has worked against burdensome environmental standards, including actions to end mandated paper straws and an executive order ending showerhead and faucet water use limits.
