By Nancy Vu, Energy and Environment Reporter. Media: Washington Examiner
Republicans on the Small Business Committee are inquiring into the Biden administration’s newest proposed rule that would change the energy conservation standards for ceiling fans.
In a letter sent to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday, Committee Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX) and other committee members questioned how the Department of Energy’s proposed rule could potentially put small business fan manufacturers out of business.
“It is important for agencies to examine small businesses interests—which make up 99.9 percent of all businesses in the United States—when passing any new rule. America’s small businesses deserve to have their voices heard and considered,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers argued that the rule would require numerous small business fan manufacturers to redesign their products, potentially putting 10%-30% of these businesses out of business.
The letter lists out a series of questions to the DOE, requesting information on additional costs to businesses complying with the rule, alternative solutions to the proposed policy, impact calculations, and whether or not certain businesses will go out of business because of the rule.
The DOE’s rule, which was proposed in June but whose public comment period ended on Monday, would require ceiling fans to be more energy efficient, reasoning that the move could save households anywhere between $28 to $39 over the lifespan of a new fan. However, the estimated increased equipment costs are expected to be $86.6 million per year.
According to the DOE’s analysis, the net monetized benefit of this new rule would amount to $316.7 million, with $281.1 million in reduced equipment operating costs, $54.7 million in monetized climate benefits, and $67.5 million in monetized health benefits.
This is the latest instance of Republicans going after the Biden administration for proposing appliance efficiency standards aimed at regulating home kitchen appliances. The most notable instance came when Republicans blasted the DOE’s proposal to set energy standards for gas stoves and other conventional cooking products.
Under the Biden administration, the Energy Department has increasingly imposed more stringent regulations on household appliances, proposing new standards for gas stoves, ovens, and refrigerators, among other appliances. On the first day of his term, President Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring the Energy Department to make “major revisions” to current appliance regulation standards and standards set by the Trump administration.
The letter sent by Williams and others sets a response deadline of Aug. 30.
Discussion about this post