1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Block the Energy Department's proposed rule to gut appliance efficiency standards. The rule — cynically titled "Permanently End Green New Scam Appliance Mandates" — would weaken conservation standards for air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines at the exact moment Americans need relief from rising electricity costs and an increasingly strained power grid. This isn't a fringe environmental issue. Energy efficiency standards have had bipartisan support for decades — George H.W. Bush signed significant policies on this nearly 40 years ago. The Appliance Standards Awareness Project estimates that strengthened standards would save the typical household $160 a year on utility bills and cut businesses' operating costs by almost $15 billion annually over two decades. Weakening these rules doesn't help consumers — it hands a gift to manufacturers at families' expense. The Trump administration tried this same rollback in 2020 and the Biden administration reversed it. The public comment period is the moment to stop it from happening again. Please use every tool available to oppose this rule and make clear that stripping away standards that save Americans money is not something you'll let pass without a fight.