Overview

Title

To prohibit the Secretary of Energy from prescribing or enforcing energy conservation standards for dishwashers that are not cost-effective or technologically feasible, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

H.R. 7700 is like a rule that says you can't make dishwashers follow new power-saving rules unless those rules are really good ideas and don't make them too expensive. It's like making sure you only do something if it's helpful and won't cost too much.

Summary AI

H.R. 7700, known as the “Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act,” aims to prevent the Secretary of Energy from setting or enforcing energy conservation standards for dishwashers unless those standards are technologically feasible, economically justified, and do not result in significant additional costs to consumers. The bill also stipulates that energy standards should only be imposed if they result in significant energy savings. The legislation seeks to ensure that any new energy standards for dishwashers do not impose unreasonable costs or lack substantial energy efficiency benefits.

Published

2024-03-15
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2024-03-15
Package ID: BILLS-118hr7700ih

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
685
Pages:
4
Sentences:
15

Language

Nouns: 222
Verbs: 50
Adjectives: 43
Adverbs: 8
Numbers: 23
Entities: 29

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.77
Average Sentence Length:
45.67
Token Entropy:
4.51
Readability (ARI):
27.57

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

The proposed legislation, known as the "Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act," seeks to impose new restrictions on the Secretary of Energy's ability to establish or enforce energy conservation standards for dishwashers. Specifically, it bars the Secretary from implementing standards unless they are deemed technologically achievable, economically sensible, and ensure significant energy savings without imposing additional net costs on consumers. The bill makes use of definitions found in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to clarify what constitutes a "covered product" and an "energy conservation standard."

Summary of Significant Issues

Several notable issues arise from the bill's language:

  1. Lack of Clarity: Terms like "technologically feasible" and "economically justified" are not explicitly defined within the bill. The absence of clear definitions could lead to varying interpretations and potentially create legal challenges.

  2. Consumer Cost Provisions: The bill uses the phrase "additional net costs to the consumer," which remains undefined. This vagueness may result in inconsistent evaluations and enforcement of standards, potentially leading to disputes.

  3. Energy Savings Definition: The requirement for "significant conservation of energy" is subjective and not clearly specified, posing challenges in measuring compliance and actual energy savings.

  4. Regulatory Exemptions: By exempting the Secretary from following specific subsections of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act without explaining these subsections, the bill creates uncertainty about which current regulations are being affected.

  5. Title Ambiguity: While the title "Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act" provides a general idea of the bill's intent, it may not clearly convey the specific provisions and limitations, leading to potential misunderstandings among the public.

Broader Public Impact

The bill is likely to generate diverse responses and could impact the public in several ways. If passed, it might prevent the establishment of stringent efficiency standards for dishwashers unless those standards meet all outlined criteria. This could mean dishwashers on the market may remain at current efficiency levels unless improvements are demonstrably feasible and cost-effective. For consumers, this could preserve current cost structures, avoiding potential price increases related to compliance with new standards. However, it might also slow advancements in energy efficiency, impacting national efforts to conserve energy and reduce environmental footprints.

Stakeholder Impact

Consumers: The bill aims to protect consumers from potential cost burdens arising from stricter energy standards. However, it may limit their access to technology that reduces long-term energy and utility costs.

Manufacturers: Appliance producers could benefit from relaxed regulations, as they would not have to invest heavily in redesigning products to meet potentially costly energy standards. However, they might face criticism from advocacy groups pressing for greener technologies.

Environmental Groups: Such groups might view the legislation negatively, arguing that it obstructs progress toward reducing energy consumption and environmental impacts. The lack of aggressive standards might be seen as a step backward in addressing climate change.

Regulators and Policymakers: Simplifying the enforcement process may ease regulatory burdens, but the ambiguity in definitions could complicate the determination of compliance, possibly leading to increased legal disputes and policy gridlock.

In conclusion, while the bill clearly aims to protect consumers from undue financial burdens, it raises questions about its potential to stifle innovation and progress in energy conservation, a key component of national and global environmental strategies.

Issues

  • The lack of specificity in defining 'technologically feasible' and 'economically justified' in Section 2 could lead to interpretation disputes, potentially causing legal challenges and inconsistent application of the law.

  • Section 2's prohibition on standards that result in 'additional net costs to the consumer' is vague without clear criteria for evaluating such costs, which could lead to differing interpretations and challenges in enforcement.

  • The use of the term 'significant conservation of energy' in Section 2 is subjective and not clearly defined, creating potential challenges in determining compliance, effectiveness, and enforcement, impacting policy outcomes and environmental goals.

  • The title of the act, 'Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act,' in Section 1 might not adequately convey the full scope or intent of the bill, potentially leading to misunderstandings among stakeholders about the bill's impact.

  • Section 2's exemption of specific subsections (m), (n), and (o) without explanation reduces transparency and creates ambiguity about what existing regulations are being overridden, which could obscure the bill's impact on current energy standards.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of this act states that it will be officially known as the "Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act."

2. Prescribing and enforcing energy conservation standards for dishwashers Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section states that the Secretary of Energy cannot set or enforce new energy conservation standards for dishwashers unless they are technologically feasible, economically justified, do not increase costs to consumers, and lead to significant energy savings. The terms "covered product" and "energy conservation standard" are defined according to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.