A group of 18 Democratic senators urged the Department of Energy to drop a proposal to slash its energy conservation standards for appliances, a move lawmakers claim would raise utility bills for consumers.
The US Department of Energy announced in July that it was looking at cutting back on the mandatory standards for products including air conditioners, gas stoves, refrigerators — which will likely be challenged in court under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.
“At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing, this Administration should be focused on making energy affordable and increasing grid capacity – not hamstringing a …