AGA Files Comments to Protect Customers’ Access to Affordable Energy
Washington, D.C. – The American Gas Association (AGA) just filed comments related to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for new and amended energy conservation standards for consumer conventional cooking appliances which would remove a large portion of natural gas cooking products from the market.
“It goes without saying that the government should not be in the business of prescribing how everyday Americans cook their meals,” said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the AGA. “The whole of government approach to ban natural gas ignores consumer preferences and pocketbooks and the facts that clearly show how natural gas is helping our nation achieve our energy and environmental goals. The natural gas industry is a champion of energy efficiency, but this rule is not an energy efficiency measure as advertised, rather, it is an effort to remove gas appliances from the market and a clear violation of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.”
In the comments, AGA lays out the procedural and legal errors in the proposed rule, the errors and omissions involved in DOE’s flawed methodology and the negative impact of limiting energy and appliance choices for customers and communities: “AGA encourages DOE and stakeholders to develop a solutions-oriented approach to energy conservation that ensures any proposed efficiency standards for cooktops actually reduce energy use, protect consumers, and not eliminate an entire product class from the market.”
Harbert continued: “This rule includes significant methodological and data flaws that need to be addressed before DOE moves forward. Without adjustments, DOE risks negatively impacting customers and the environment—the math just doesn’t add up.”
Read the full comments here.
# # #
AGA Media Contact:
Adam Kay
(202) 824-7263