Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and 22 of his counterparts from conservative states filed a comment Monday with the U.S. Department of Energy, hinting at possible legal action if the regulator follows through with new energy-efficiency standards on stoves, cooktops and ovens.
Hilgers is the latest Republican to question Biden administration efforts to reduce indoor-air emissions and power consumption of indoor cooking. U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., and others made videos when a previous version of the rule appeared to target natural gas stove emissions.
The original 2023 rule was resubmitted in 2024 with less restrictive revisions. The first proposal would have forced changes to more than nine in 10 gas stoves sold. The new proposal would let all but 3% of gas stoves sold stay on the market. But American appliance manufacturers object to the new rule, too.
