The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed a sweeping overhaul of federal rules, a move that would make it harder for regulators to impose new limits on how much energy is used by light bulbs, washing machines, furnaces, and a wide range of other appliances and equipment.
The department said on Thursday that it had issued a notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at “permanently” ending home appliance and equipment mandates that officials said have limited consumer choice and made some products more expensive.
While the DOE’s 192-page proposal would not repeal any existing efficiency standards, it would change the process for updating current energy-use rules and establishing standards for new products. The proposed changes include revisions to DOE testing procedures and the process for developing energy conservation standards, a new definition of “significant energy savings,” and additional economic thresholds that standards would have to meet….