WASHINGTON, D. C. – The U.S. Senate voted along party lines Wednesday to approve a resolution authored by U.S. Sen. Jon Husted that would overturn energy certification standards for appliances and commercial equipment that were set during the administration of ex-President Joe Biden.
The rule it overturns amended or created new certification, labeling, and enforcement requirements for 20 products, including dishwashers, central air conditioning and heat pumps, clothes washers, and more.
In a speech on the U.S. Senate floor before the 52-46 vote, the Columbus-area Republican said the standards at issue would waste time and money, raising costs without delivering meaningful energy savings.
“These are just everyday products that Ohioans depend on,” said Husted. “This Biden era overreach makes it harder to afford them and leaves consumers with fewer choices and more costs.”
Biden’s energy department argued that the new standards would reduce energy consumption and save money for consumers. It said setting national energy standards would pre-empt a patchwork of regulations across the United States, reduce compliance costs and ensure manufacturers don’t have to develop and market separate types of products to sell in various states.
“Improvements in energy efficiency can be made today to yield significant near-term and long-term economic and environmental benefits for the nation,” said testimony that Biden’s Under Secretary for Science and Innovation at the U.S. Department of Energy, Geri Richmond, delivered at a 2023 House subcommittee hearing.
A statement from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, an organization founded by environmental and energy efficiency groups, said the resolution will increase burdens on manufacturers, and make it harder for the Department of Energy or other parties to identify products that don’t comply with standards.
“The resolution could benefit companies—often those importing products from abroad—that cut corners, at the expense of consumers and the manufacturers that follow the law,” the statement said.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the resolution in March. A statement from Husted said he’s pleased his first bill to be signed by President Trump will eliminate regulations that make it harder for taxpayers to afford appliances.
“My resolution would cut red tape for manufacturers, restore consumer choice and lower costs for hardworking Americans across the country, he said.
Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
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