California Attorney General Rob Bonta has taken a firm stance against the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposed deregulatory actions. Bonta, in collaboration with Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, New York Attorney General Tish James, and Corporation Counsel of the City of New York Muriel Goode-Trufant, submitted comment letters urging the DOE to halt its plans to roll back water and energy efficiency standards.
The DOE recently proposed 16 rules that would weaken these standards for consumer appliances and commercial equipment. The coalition argues that such rollbacks would be unlawful, increase utility costs for consumers and businesses, and contribute to climate change by raising greenhouse gas emissions.
“As energy costs reach historic highs, the President continues to break his promise to Americans of ‘driving costs down’ on Day One,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Not only are these rules unlawful, but they will also drive up energy costs for business and consumers and harm our environment.”
These proposals come in response to President Trump’s Executive Order titled “Zero-Based Regulations to Unleash American Energy.” The order seeks to reduce water and energy efficiency standards either by rescinding amended standards or returning them to statutory minimums. If implemented, these actions could violate several acts including the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Energy Policy Conservation Act’s (EPCA) “anti-backsliding” provision.
The coalition emphasizes that historically, these standards have led to significant savings in water and energy. They warn that adopting the rollback proposals would increase energy costs significantly and contribute to climate change.
Attorney General Bonta is joined by attorneys general from several states including Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington as well as representatives from the District of Columbia and the City of New York.
Copies of the 16 comment letters are available for public access.
