Key facts
- A federal appeals court voided a Biden-era efficiency rule for gas and electric stoves and ovens.
- The court ruled that the Department of Energy improperly bypassed public comment procedures.
- Seven Republican-led states challenged the rule, arguing it was controversial and bypassed consensus rulemaking.
- The rule was intended to limit energy consumption and ban older technologies like linear power supplies.
- The court questioned whether technological complexity in the name of efficiency would reduce reliability or increase costs.
A federal appeals court has struck down a Biden administration-era rule that set efficiency standards for gas and electric stoves and ovens. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled 3-0 that the Department of Energy improperly bypassed public comment procedures when issuing its "direct final rule."
The decision came in response to a challenge brought by seven Republican-led states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. The rule, issued in August 2024, aimed to limit energy consumption by kitchen appliances and phase out older technologies like linear power supplies.
Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham, writing for the court, stated that the Department of Energy should not have fast-tracked the rule, especially given that numerous states had opposed similar efficiency standards proposed in 2023. He characterized the rule as part of an effort by the Biden administration to make home appliances "more expensive and less useful."
Direct final rules are typically used for uncontroversial matters. Judge Oldham noted that the Energy Department relied on support from industry groups, environmental activists, and certain Democratic-led states, but found it untenable to argue that this consensus represented the entire country or that the department adequately considered potential reductions in reliability or increases in associated costs.
It remains uncertain whether the Trump administration, should it return to power, would defend the rule. President Donald Trump has historically criticized energy conservation mandates, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright has recently pledged to restrict efficiency mandates that raise costs and limit consumer choice.