CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Energy, raising serious concerns over the agency’s proposed new rule involving refrigerators and freezers.
President Biden’s DoE made the proposal public in February 2023 and recently finalized it—more stringent sets of energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers. The rules are expected to take effect in 2027.
“This administration again relied on bad data and ran with it to further its radical climate change agenda,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “Now these unelected bureaucrats are trying to get in your kitchens and overregulate them to advance Biden’s radical green new deal.”
“Most disconcerting is the lack of consideration for the average consumer, who undoubtedly will be most affected by appliance price hikes due to the new regulations,” the Attorney General joined in writing.
The letter spells out the new standards’ numerous flaws, including misguided data and statutory issues.
The coalition urged the DoE to “seriously reevaluate its direct final rule in light of this comment. DOE’s regulations will cause Americans distaste toward government agencies, leaving many with increased expenses in their kitchens.”
In 2023, the Attorney General also joined a letter to the DoE raising issues on a similar proposal, which included new rules for residential clothes washers.
Attorney General Morrisey joined the Tennessee-led letter with Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
