Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced today that his administration has filed opposition to a Trump administration proposed rule seeking to end federal energy efficiency standards for appliances and consumer products, warning it would lead to less efficient products, wasted energy, and higher utility bills for Americans. The proposed rule change by the U.S. Department of Energy aims to terminate the federal Appliance Standards Program, which currently sets efficiency standards for manufacturers and protects consumers.
Existing federal energy efficiency standards have saved U.S. households over $780 billion and businesses an additional $330 billion in costs over the past decade. In Connecticut alone, these standards have cumulatively saved households nearly $12 billion, averaging $8,268 per household, and businesses $4.3 billion over the same period. Connecticut’s filing was submitted by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in collaboration with departments from the District of Columbia, Maine, and Washington State.
Governor Lamont said, “Rolling back energy efficiency standards for appliances means more wasted energy and higher utility bills all across the U.S. This is backwards policy and shows disregard for the challenges Americans are dealing with right now.” DEEP Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino added, “This rollback will cost all of us. If finalized, this rule will lead to higher utility costs spent on inefficient products that waste energy.”
Cimino highlighted that in 2025 alone, these standards reduced total U.S. electricity consumption by 14% and summer peak electricity demand by 115 gigawatts, also reducing over 238 million metric tons of air pollution. The administration pledges to continue pushing back against such proposals with state-level programs.