Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading a multistate legal challenge against the Biden-Harris Administration, with a lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, aiming to halt the enforcement of new energy conservation standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for household gas stoves and ovens, as per a notice from the Texas Attorney General's office.
The controversy began in February 2023 when the DOE proposed energy conservation standards that critics said would eliminate most gas stoves. After pushback from consumers and industry representatives, the DOE issued a final rule that was slightly less strict but still didn't address the concerns raised. This rule is expected to impose a significant financial burden on American households, prompting Paxton and a coalition of states to request a review of the rule-making process.
Paxton has accused the federal government of bypassing due process by issuing the rule without public comment and without majority support from states, which is usually required by law. The multistate lawsuit claims that the administration's actions are overreaching and unconstitutional, as they ignore input from states and the public when introducing new regulations.
Attorney General Paxton stated, "The Biden-Harris Administration’s crusade against kitchen appliances hurts American families at a time when their policies have already made the cost-of-living skyrocket." He added, "If this rule targeting gas stoves takes effect, they will have unconstitutionally forced yet another component of their so-called 'energy transition' agenda onto our country without the public’s input," in a statement mentioned in the Texas Attorney General's office notice.
