Joe Biden’s Energy Department proposes crackdown on ceiling fans: Republicans say plan risks putting up to 30% of small manufacturers out of business

The Department of Energy defended its plan to introduce new requirements for ceiling fans, insisting it would save homes after Republicans claimed the rules would put manufacturers out of business.

Under the new proposal, the maximum rated power consumption of large-diameter belt-driven ceiling fans will be reduced.

The DOE believes that ceiling fans that comply with the new rules will save households about $39 over their lifespan — a 40 percent savings — and cost customers about $10 more per fan.

They say the $10 cost will be recouped within four years.

The ministry said the cost to manufacturers associated with the equipment increase would amount to $86.6 million annually.

Roger Williams, a Texas Republican who chairs the House Small Business Committee, wrote to Jennifer Granholm, the energy secretary, on Thursday to ask them to rethink the plan.

“This rule will require many small ceiling fan manufacturers to redesign their products and could result in 10 to 30 percent of small ceiling fan manufacturers going out of business,” Williams and his colleagues wrote.

“It appears that the DOE may not have properly considered small entities during this rulemaking process.”

Williams sent Granholm a list of five questions, asking for details about the proposal and asking for information about whether management expects manufacturers to abandon their existing fans, or rework them.

They also asked about the cost implications.

“It is important for agencies to examine the interests of small businesses – which make up 99.9% of all businesses in the United States – when passing any new rule,” the commission wrote.

“America’s small businesses deserve to have their voices heard and considered.”

The Energy Department defended the changes, a spokesperson said Fox Business Manufacturers have five years to upgrade their facilities, arguing that the move reduces air pollution.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and her department defended the new proposals

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Ceiling fans should be more efficient under the new proposals

The spokesperson noted that Joe Biden, on his first day in office, ordered the Department of Energy to make “major reviews” of existing appliance regulatory standards and standards set by the Trump administration.

A month later, the agency listed more than a dozen energy efficiency rules affecting appliances such as water heaters, cooking products and lamps, which it will review.

“These proposed standards, which are required by Congress, do not go into effect until 2028, and will give Americans more energy-efficient options to choose from and save hardworking taxpayers up to $369 million annually, while significantly reducing harmful air pollution — A crucial fact that some fail to mention so easily.

Earlier this year, the Department of Energy stirred up a hornet’s nest when it emerged that it was in the process of proposing stronger regulations for new gas stoves, which would also effectively reduce their emissions.

And in January 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission clarified that while the agency is not looking to ban gas stoves, it is actively looking at performance tests to measure emissions, safety standards, and other solutions to reduce potential risks.

Critics have accused the Biden administration of overreach, saying it implements a nanny state and places excessive restrictions on how people manage their families.