The U.S. Department of Energy on Thursday issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to "permanently end home appliance and equipment mandates," targeting federal limits on energy use by light bulbs, washing machines, furnaces, and other household devices. The move continues President Trump's campaign against appliance efficiency requirements and represents the latest effort to reshape DOE's congressionally mandated Appliance and Equipment Standards Program. While the proposal is framed as an "update" to the agency's methodologies, it remains unclear whether Trump's goal is to permanently disband the program that Congress requires DOE to operate.
The proposed rule would make several significant changes to how efficiency standards are developed and enforced. According to the DOE proposal, the changes include altering DOE's testing procedures and process for developing energy conservation standards, adding a definition of "significant energy savings" to requirements for setting standards, and including certain economic thresholds for rules. The agency will accept comments on the proposed rule for 30 days after it's published in the Federal Register. DOE also issued a separate request for information seeking comment on the methodologies used in developing energy conservation standards, which will accept comments for 60 days after publication.
The proposal claims the changes will "safeguard the American people's freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances" and "promote market competition and innovation within the manufacturing and appliance industries," according to the DOE announcement. Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said in a statement that "this proposal is about the future" and will ensure new regulations "promote affordability, preserve consumer choice, and meet the highest standards for transparency and due diligence." The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers voiced support for the changes, with President and CEO Kelly Mariotti noting that because the Process Rule has been "subject to change from administration to administration," it creates uncertainty that makes it difficult for manufacturers to plan and invest.
But efficiency advocates say the proposal would create obstacles that prevent DOE from fulfilling its legal responsibilities. Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said the proposed rule would "create hurdles" to updating standards and described it as an "obstacle course of restrictions" that would hinder the department from carrying out its congressional mandate to protect consumers. The rule is the latest in a series of actions that efficiency advocates say hurt consumers under the guise of choice—the Trump administration has also attempted to close the popular Energy Star program and recently ended a rebate encouraging consumers to switch from gas to electric appliances. DeLaski argued that the country needs to embrace technology advances as products become more efficient, especially as data centers strain the electric grid.
The proposed rule's fate now depends on the public comment period and whether Congress acts to codify the changes into law. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers called for Congress to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and lock the reforms into statute "so that the progress made here endures." For now, the proposal represents a fundamental shift in how the federal government approaches appliance efficiency—moving away from mandatory energy-saving standards toward a framework that prioritizes consumer choice and manufacturer flexibility, even as questions remain about whether the administration can legally override Congress's mandate for the standards program.