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US Appeals Court Voids Biden-Era Efficiency Standards for Stoves, Cooktops

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday set aside a Biden-era rule imposing energy-efficiency standards on consumer cooking appliances, ruling the US Energy Department improperly retained the measure after adverse comments.

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals granted a petition from Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, which challenged the Department of Energy's Direct Final Rule for stoves and cooktops.

The DOE issued the rule in February 2024 under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, setting limits on annual appliance energy use and banning linear power supplies in covered products.

The court said the DOE improperly used a direct final rule despite opposition to similar standards from numerous states.

The court said the Department failed to account for whether the standard's increased complexity could reduce reliability or increase associated costs.

Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham said the Energy Department should not have fast-tracked the rule after knowing numerous states opposed a similar 2023 effort to impose efficiency standards.

Oldham also criticized the Biden administration's approach to the rule, saying it could make home appliances "more expensive and less useful," while noting that direct final rules typically address uncontroversial matters.

The US Department of Energy did not immediately reply to' request for comment.

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