The U.S. House voted Thursday in support of a resolution to reverse another Biden administration environmental move—the one to outlaw an entire product class of instantaneous natural gas water heaters.
All five Oklahoma Representatives, Stephanie Bice, Josh Brecheen, Tom Cole, Kevin Hern and Frank Lucas, were among the 221 House members who voted for Rep. Gary Palmer’s H.J. Res. 20 which rolls back the regulation. The final vote was 221-198 with 12 no votes and two “present.”
The American Gas Association contended the Biden regulation, put into place in the final days of his presidency, would have raised costs for tens of millions of senior and low-income households.
“Today was a win for working-class Americans and the environment,”said AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert. “The Biden-era rule was deeply flawed on both legal and practical grounds and would have placed a disproportionate financial burden on seniors and low-income Americans—and pushed many of the most financially vulnerable consumers toward less efficient electric products with higher ongoing energy costs.”
The Department of Energy estimated 40% of customers affected by the Biden rule would have experienced a net coase increase. The rule would have also increased the cost of manufacturing by hundreds of dollars.
By banning an entire product class of instantaneous natural gas water heaters, the rule would have forced many consumers to switch to electric resistance water heaters and would have resulted in significantly higher costs over the lifespan of the appliance and increased emissions, stated the AGA.
