The US Department of Energy has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) to permanently roll back energy-efficiency standards for a wide range of household appliances and equipment, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced on July 2.
The proposed rule targets efficiency standards enacted under the Biden administration, which the Trump administration has labeled the “Green New Scam.” The NOPR would change the testing procedures and processes used by the DOE to develop its energy conservation policies, effectively adding barriers that would make it harder to update these standards in the future.
Wright said the goal is to lower costs and preserve consumer choice. The notice lists light bulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and showerheads as examples of items that would be affected.
Consumer advocacy groups pushed back sharply. According to the nonprofit Appliance Standards Awareness Project, the energy savings at risk include approximately $160 (about £130) per year in average household utility bill savings and $15 billion (about £12 billion) in annual operating costs for businesses over two decades.
“Efficiency standards are a proven policy for lowering Americans’ energy bills, but this would create hurdles designed to make updating them more difficult,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of ASAP.
The DOE’s move is part of a broader deregulatory push under the current administration. It is unclear whether the agency intends to revise how the congressionally mandated Appliance and Equipment Standards Program operates or to eliminate the program entirely. Legal challenges from environmental groups and states are expected.
Sources: Goodbye, Energy-Saving Appliances? US Eyes Efficiency-Rule Rollback (CNET, July 2, 2026); DOE NOPR announcement (Department of Energy, July 2, 2026)