Biden Admin Issues New Rule Targeting Gas Furnaces In Latest Crackdown On Appliances

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a rule Friday mandating standards for residential gas furnaces to reduce “greenhouse gas emissions,” according to a press release.

The DOE said it has proposed or finalized rules for new efficiency standards for 24 appliances in its attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the press release. The new rule, opposed by the American Gas Association (AGA), which said it might prohibit 40-60% of gas furnaces in homes, will take effect in 2028 and require residential furnaces to have an annual fuel efficiency of 95%.

“At the direction of Congress, DOE is continuing to review and finalize energy standards for household appliances, such as residential furnaces, to lower costs for working families by reducing energy use and slashing harmful pollutants in homes across the nation,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said, according to the press release.

“Today’s measure, along with this Administration’s past and planned energy efficiency actions, underscores President Biden’s commitment to save Americans money and deliver healthier communities,” Granholm continued.

The AGA said in a June letter to the DOE that gas furnaces are more cost effective, and that the electrification of multiple appliances could be costly to consumers because many gas appliances are more cost effective.

The DOE plans to spend $225 million helping state and local governments adopt building codes that push electrification and away from gas appliances. The Biden administration also proposed a rule in June that would require gas generators to turn off after reaching a certain amount of emissions.

“They’re going to have to, in many cases, install new equipment to exhaust gas out of their home. These higher efficiency units, or so-called condensing units — a lot of consumers have them in their home, but a lot of consumers don’t. So, this rule would require additional retrofits for a lot of consumers. And those retrofits can be extremely cost prohibitive,” Richard Meyer, the vice president of energy markets, analysis and standards of AGA said.

The Biden administration also announced a new proposed rule going after water heaters in July to curb greenhouse gas emissions, as well as proposing new rules in March for refrigerators and laundry machines that could impose billions of dollars of costs on consumers.

The push to crack down on appliance efficiency standards is a part of a broader push by the Biden administration to electrify all appliances in pursuit of its climate agenda.

The DOE proposed a rule in February to create new energy efficiency standards for gas stoves in the U.S. A Biden administration official previously told Bloomberg the Biden administration was considering a nationwide ban on gas stoves, citing a December 2022 study that has been disputed alleging stoves were responsible for nearly 12.7% of childhood asthma cases.

The DOE did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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