A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down a Biden administration-era rule setting efficiency standards for gas and electric stoves and ovens, saying the agency improperly bypassed public comment procedures.

Background

The August 2024 rule was intended to limit how much energy consumers use in kitchen appliances, and to ban an older technology known as linear power supplies. However, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled in favor of seven Republican-led states — Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah — that challenged the Department of Energy’s ‘direct final rule’ for consumer-grade stoves and ovens.

Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham said the Energy Department should not have fast-tracked the rule, knowing that numerous states opposed a 2023 attempt to enact similar efficiency standards. He also dismissed the rule as part of a push by former President Joe Biden’s administration to make home appliances ‘more expensive and less useful.’

Preserving Consumer Choice

Direct final rules are typically reserved for uncontroversial matters. Though the Energy Department defended its rulemaking during the appeal, it’s unclear whether it would still defend the rule. President Donald Trump, a Republican, has long criticized energy conservation rules, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright pledged last month to permanently restrict efficiency mandates for home appliances that ‘raise costs and disrupt consumer choice.’

An Energy Department spokesperson said following Tuesday’s decision that the Trump administration is ‘committed to ensuring that consumers can choose the home appliances that work best for their lives and budgets.’ The decision is seen as a win for consumer choice and a setback for the Biden administration’s energy efficiency efforts.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.