Staff Reports
The House recently passed a bill that aims to ensure any new energy efficiency standards created by the U.S. Department of Energy are based on available technology and economic reality, according to a summary of the bill on the official congressional website. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Lesko, received support from members of both political parties.
Finally some common sense…https://t.co/pRTNHiM0eq
— Heather M Pelletier (@dragonfly82174) May 8, 2024
Lesko commented on the bill, expressing her disappointment in the need for such legislation. She cited the Department of Energy’s implementation of new regulations for household products under the current administration, including stoves, dishwashers, washing machines, showers, toilets, water heaters, air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces. Lesko emphasized that she does not believe government officials should seek to take away Americans’ appliances in the name of a radical environmental agenda.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers also voiced her support for the bill, asserting that the Biden administration’s push for a “rush to green agenda” is out of touch with the priorities of everyday Americans.
The bill specifically targets consumer products like household appliances and excludes vehicles. If enacted, it would grant the DOE the authority to revoke or amend energy conservation standards if they result in additional costs to consumers, do not significantly conserve energy or water, are not technologically feasible, or result in a product not being available in the United States to all consumers. The bill also requires all new or modified regulations to be technologically feasible and economically justified.
On the day of the House vote, 205 Republicans and seven Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while 195 Democrats voted against it. The bill’s future in the Senate is uncertain, and its passage seems unlikely given the Senate’s previous refusal to consider similar bills.
The passage of the bill received support from both sides of the political aisle, reflecting a bipartisan effort to address concerns about energy efficiency standards and regulations.
