U.S. House Passes Bill to Curtail Costly Appliance Efficiency Standards With Support from Golden

The U.S. House passed a bill on Tuesday aimed at ending burdensome efficiency standards that restrict the home appliances Americans can buy.

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The “Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act” from Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) would require the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to significantly alter its criteria when considering potential energy conservation requirements.

The bill allows the DOE to remove or revoke any energy conservation standards that result in additional consumer costs, do not significantly conserve energy or water, are not technologically feasible, and prevent consumers from accessing a product.

The bill’s summary specifically cites gas stoves as a product that would be protected from a ban by the policy changes.

It alters the standards for determining the economic viability of proposed standards before they are imposed. It increases transparency by requiring the DOE to disclose any meetings with groups that have applied for or received federal funds, that have advocated for limits or bans on energy use, or that have ties with the Chinese Communist Party.

The Republican-led bill passed with a 217-190 vote. Republicans presented a united front in favor of the bill, while seven Democrats, including Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), crossed party lines to support it.

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) opposed it.

The bill appears to further the goals President Donald Trump has pursued since the start of his second term, with executive action aimed at repealing burdensome standards, such as flow limits on showerheads.

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