Description:
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended, authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to regulate energy efficiency standards for various appliances. H.R. 1640 would limit the conditions under which DOE could establish such standards for household stoves and ovens. The bill also would prohibit DOE from implementing the proposed rule, Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products, 88 Fed. Reg. 6818 (February 1, 2023), or any substantially similar rule, which would establish stricter energy conservation standards for stoves and ovens that use electricity or gas. Prohibiting implementation of the proposed rule could slow demand for High Efficiency Electric Home Rebates, which are classified in the budget as mandatory; thus, CBO anticipates that enacting the bill would affect direct spending. Because of the structure of the rebate program, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1640 would reduce direct spending by less than $500,000 over the 2023‑2028 period and would not affect total direct spending over the 2023-2033 period. On April 25, 2023, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, as posted on the website of the House Committee on Rules on April 19, 2023. Section 10025 of H.R. 2811 is similar to section 3 of H.R. 1640, and CBO’s estimated budgetary effects of those provisions are the same.
