House Passes Bills That Would Worsen Energy Affordability & Reliability - CleanTechnica

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed two bills, H.R. 4626 (the Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act) and another unnamed bill, that critics argue would negatively impact energy affordability and reliability. H.R. 4626 would make it easier to weaken or revoke federal appliance efficiency standards and more difficult to update them, potentially locking families into higher energy and water costs over time while increasing strain on the energy grid. Appliance efficiency standards have historically saved households approximately $6,000 in utility bills over the past decade. The second bill would repeal important consumer savings and workforce programs, including the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program, which supports cost-saving home energy upgrades. Environmental advocates, including the Sierra Club, strongly oppose these measures. Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director Xavier Boatright stated that these bills would exacerbate the energy affordability crisis by increasing costs for families already struggling with rising energy bills. Furthermore, the bills could undermine U.S. manufacturing competitiveness by stifling