{"slug": "new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy", "title": "New Anti-Energy Efficiency Bill Will Cost Consumers, Waste Energy", "summary": "Senator Mike Lee (R-AZ) introduced a bill that would roll back existing energy efficiency standards and prevent the Department of Energy from updating or implementing new strong efficiency standards, leading to energy waste, added strain on the grid, and higher energy prices. The bill would end oversight of air conditioner efficiency and separate fossil fuel-fired and electric appliances into different categories, while expanding the federal government's ability to block state and local public health protections. Sierra Club's Clean Heat Campaign Director Srinidhi Sampath Kumar criticized the bill as a handout to the fossil fuel industry that would hurt consumers facing high utility bills.", "body_md": "# New Anti-Energy Efficiency Bill Will Cost Consumers, Waste Energy\n\n*Support CleanTechnica's work through*[a Substack subscription](https://cleantechnica.substack.com/subscribe),[on Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/cleantechnica), or[on Stripe](https://cleantechnica.fundjournalism.org/contribute/). Help us produce all of the[high-quality, original content we publish week after week](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/07/14/10/)despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.*Washington, DC —* Yesterday, Senator Mike Lee (R-AZ) introduced a bill that would roll back existing energy efficiency standards and prevent the Department of Energy from updating existing or implementing new strong efficiency standards. The bill would result in energy waste, adding extra strain to the grid and raising energy prices.\n\nThe bill would end all oversight of air conditioner efficiency, at a time when an uptick in heat waves across the country is leading to increased reliance on cooling. It would also separate fossil fuel-fired and electric appliances in different categories so inefficient gas furnaces and not be compared to very efficient heat pumps, as one example.\n\nIn addition, the bill would dramatically expand the ability of the federal government to block state and local laws designed to protect public health.\n\n**In reaction, Director of Sierra Club’s Clean Heat Campaign Srinidhi Sampath Kumar:**\n\n“This bill would hurt people who are already facing high utility bills and who want to lower those bills as well as the pollution in their homes by installing efficient appliances. By making it virtually impossible to update efficiency standards for appliances as best in-class technologies become available, this bill is nothing but a handout to the fossil fuel industry.”\n\n*Sign up for*\n\n[CleanTechnica's Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott's in-depth analyses and high level summaries](https://cleantechnica.substack.com/subscribe), sign up for[our daily newsletter](https://mailchi.mp/cleantechnica/daily-newsletter), and[follow us on Google News](https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqLQgKIidDQklTRndnTWFoTUtFV05zWldGdWRHVmphRzVwWTJFdVkyOXRLQUFQAQ)!*Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast?*\n\n[Contact us here](https://cleantechnica.com/contact/).*Sign up for our daily newsletter for*\n\n[15 new cleantech stories a day](https://mailchi.mp/cleantechnica/daily-newsletter). Or sign up for[our weekly one on top stories of the week](https://mailchi.mp/cleantechnica/weekly-newsletter)if daily is too frequent.\n\n*CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy*\n\n[here](https://cleantechnica.com/cleantechnica-editorial-ethics/).[CleanTechnica's Comment Policy](https://cleantechnica.com/cleantechnica-comment-policy/)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy", "canonical_source": "https://cleantechnica.com/2026/08/07/new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy/", "published_at": "2026-08-07 19:16:13+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-09 12:29:47.030897+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy"], "entities": ["Mike Lee", "Department of Energy", "Sierra Club", "Srinidhi Sampath Kumar"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-anti-energy-efficiency-bill-will-cost-consumers-waste-energy.jsonld"}}