Energy Department Proposes Changes to Federal Appliance Efficiency Rules

The Department of Energy is expected to propose a rewrite of federal appliance efficiency regulations. Officials said the changes would alter how energy-efficiency standards are written and create a permanent safeguard against future restrictions on household appliances.

The proposal would affect rules covering gas stoves, HVAC systems, fluorescent lightbulbs, and other appliances. Officials stated that previous administrations interpreted the Energy Policy and Conservation Act standards as requiring increasingly stringent efficiency measures that raised costs or reduced functionality.

Biden-era changes in 2021 and 2024 loosened 2020 rules by making procedures non-binding and removing several provisions, including a significant energy savings threshold. The new proposal would reverse those steps and reinstate binding requirements.

Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright said past mandates restricted consumer choice and drove up costs. "In America, you should be able to choose between a drying machine that takes multiple cycles to dry your clothes and one that does it on the first try — unfortunately, past administrations thought otherwise," he told Fox News Digital.

The proposal will be open for public comment for 30 days before becoming an official rule. Officials said the measure will preserve the ability to select appliances that function as intended at prices consumers can afford. The announcement comes as parts of the U.S. and Europe experience a heat wave.

Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar stated on Instagram that the United States bears responsibility for global warming due to its greenhouse gas emissions and widespread air conditioning use.