Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee introduced legislation Thursday to overhaul how the Department of Energy sets energy efficiency standards for home appliances.
The Energy Efficiency Reform Act of 2026 would make it significantly harder for DOE to issue new or stricter standards while advancing the Republican priorities of expanding protections for manufacturers and preserving consumer choice.
“Climate alarmism turned ordinary appliances into political targets,” the Utah Republican said. “Under the Biden administration, regulators repeatedly pursued standards that narrowed consumer choice without adequately accounting for performance or cost.”
House Republicans have already passed numerous bills reversing Biden-era appliance efficiency standards. The Senate has devoted less attention to the issue, but Lee’s legislation marks its most comprehensive effort this Congress to limit the department’s appliance efficiency program.
