Federal appeals court strikes down Biden administration gas stove rule

A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down a Biden administration rule setting efficiency standards for gas and electric stoves and ovens, declaring the agency improperly bypassed ​public comment procedures.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with seven Republican-led states regarding the Biden-era Department of Energy’s final rule for consumer-grade stoves and ovens, which intended to limit how ‌much ​energy consumers use in kitchen appliances and ⁠ban certain older technology.

The 3-0 ruling was in favor of Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

“Joe Biden’s attack on consumers had no boundaries, proposing massive regulations on home appliances like stoves and ovens that would make them more expensive and less useful,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said after the ruling. “The Fifth Circuit got this right. Louisiana was proud to stand with Mississippi and our fellow attorneys general to hold the Biden administration accountable and protect consumers from Washington bureaucrats’ overreach.”

Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said the Biden Energy Department should not have attempted to streamline the rule using the Direct Final Rule process because states opposed a 2023 attempt to enact similar efficiency standards, according to Legal News Line.

“The ‌previous administration’s gas-stove measures were among its most ​controversial energy ⁠proposals,” Oldham wrote. “The idea that all that controversy could be elided using the DFR – a mechanism designed for consensus rulemaking – is untenable.”

Circuit Judges Catharina Haynes, a President George W. Bush appointee, and James Ho, who was appointed by Trump, agreed with Oldham’s decision.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.