Heinrich Leads Letter Urging DOE to Withdraw Proposed Rule for the Efficiency Standards Program that would Raise Energy Prices for American Families
WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright urging DOE to abandon a proposal that would hamstring its long-standing efficiency standards program—a move that could raise utility bills for American families by an estimated $150 a year.
DOE claims that the proposed revision to the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program process rule, issued in July 2026, would effectively end the federal program that has helped lower energy bills and improve the efficiency of home appliances for nearly 40 years.
Heinrich was joined by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Angus King (I-Maine), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, this administration should be focused on making energy affordable and increasing grid capacity — not hamstringing a program that has consistently reduced bills for American families,” the Senators began.
“Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that existing standards have reduced total U.S. energy consumption by 6.5 percent and saved the average households $576 per year. By eliminating this program going forward, the Trump administration would increase utility bills for households by $150 each year, increase peak electricity demand by 32 gigawatts (GW) in 2040, and increase cumulative CO2 emissions by nearly 1 billion metric tons through 2050,” the Senators continued.
“The law requires DOE to adopt standards ‘designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency..., which the Secretary determines is technologically feasible and economically justified,’ and that results in ‘significant’ energy savings,” the Senators concluded. “The proposed rule undermines the letter and purpose of the appliance standards statute by the administration’s own admission: the rule is designed to “permanently end” appliance and equipment standards.”
The Senators concluded the letter urging Wright to withdraw the provision and implement the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program as Congress mandated.
Read the full text of the letter here and below:
Secretary Wright:
We write to express strong opposition to the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) proposed revision to the process rule for the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program. At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, this Administration should be focused on making energy affordable and increasing grid capacity — not hamstringing a program that has consistently reduced bills for American families.
In July, DOE issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to “permanently end home appliance and equipment mandates.” This is concerning as energy efficiency standards save American families and businesses billions of dollars a year, and Congress explicitly directed DOE to carry out the program faithfully.
The efficiency standards program has been lowering utility bills and cutting emissions since the late 1980s — under Democratic and Republican Administrations alike. Since 1987, Congress has directed DOE to set efficiency standards for upwards of 60 products. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that existing standards have reduced total U.S. energy consumption by 6.5 percent and saved the average households $576 per year. By eliminating this program going forward, the Trump Administration would increase utility bills for households by $150 each year, increase peak electricity demand by 32 gigawatts (GW) in 2040, and increase cumulative CO2 emissions by nearly 1 billion metric tons through 2050.
Under current statute, DOE is required to consider consumer impacts, manufacturer impacts, technological feasibility, and economic justification before finalizing a standard. The proposed rule would layer on needless additional requirements, including undue deference to industry-developed test procedures and an unlawful minimum savings threshold set at 2 quadrillion btus of source energy or 10% of a product’s total consumption. The law requires DOE to adopt standards "designed to achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency..., which the Secretary determines is technologically feasible and economically justified," and that results in "significant" energy savings. The proposed rule undermines the letter and purpose of the appliance standards statute by the administration’s own admission: the rule is designed to “permanently end” appliance and equipment standards.
We therefore urge you to withdraw the proposed rule and implement the program as Congress originally mandated.
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