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Congress blocks Department of Energy gas-fired water heater efficiency standards

Original title: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters".

Last action · May 9, 2025: Became Public Law No: 119-6.

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed

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What This Bill Does

Congress has nullified a Department of Energy rule that would have established new for consumer gas-fired . This action, taken under the , prevents the proposed efficiency requirements from taking effect.

Why it matters

This decision stops the implementation of stricter energy efficiency mandates that would have required manufacturers to redesign gas-fired water heaters to meet higher performance benchmarks.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Department of Energy

The agency is prohibited from enforcing the specific energy conservation standards for gas-fired water heaters that were nullified by this law.

Directly affected

Water heater manufacturers

Manufacturers are no longer required to comply with the specific efficiency standards that were set to be imposed by the nullified Department of Energy rule.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this law do?
It cancels a specific Department of Energy regulation that would have set new energy efficiency requirements for gas-fired .
Can the Department of Energy try to issue this rule again?
Under the , an agency may not reissue a rule in 'substantially the same form' unless specifically authorized by a subsequent act of Congress.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

Current status: Became law.

Last action
Became Public Law No: 119-6.May 9, 2025

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

60 Plus Association

2026

TAXATION/INTERNAL REVENUE CODEENVIRONMENT/SUPERFUNDCOPYRIGHT/PATENT/TRADEMARKHEALTH ISSUES

“Signed a coalition letter opposing any efforts to raise the corporate tax rate above the 21% level set in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Signed a coalition in support of the Family Business Legacy Act, H.R. 6329. This legislation creates parity in the tax code between the estate and gift taxes by allowing an estate tax deduction for contributions to 501(c)(4), (c)(5), and (c)(6) organizations. Signed a coalition letter urging opposition to proposals that would raise taxes on carried interest investment income.The letter is urging Congress to reject the misnamed Carried Interest Fairness Act, legislation recently reintroduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and other progressive members of Congress. This legislation that would increase the tax rate on carried interest investment by 70%, from 23.8% to 40.8%. Signed a coalition letter in support of H.R.574 - ALIGN Act and highlight the 100% bonus depreciation provision's importance as the tax cut reauthorization efforts continue. Signed a coalition to support of repealing IRA's green new deal subsidies in reconciliation to pay for tax cuts. Signed a coalition letter regarding digital services taxes (DST) in an effort to stop Canadas imposition of a discriminatory digital services tax (DST) on U.S. firms and your efforts to include restrictions on the imposition of DSTs and other unfair digital policies in recently announced trade agreements-providing a model for future trade negotiations. Signed a coalition letter urging the President to index capital gains for inflation.”

Senate LDANames this bill's numberView filing on LDA.gov →

ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS

$30,000
Senate LDAMatched on title words onlyView filing on LDA.gov →

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY CENTER

Senate LDAMatched on title words onlyView filing on LDA.gov →

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Regulatory Nullification

The use of the Congressional Review Act to block specific appliance efficiency standards indicates a legislative trend toward limiting agency-led energy mandates.

Connected Entities

Department of Energy
OrganizationDepartment of Energy“The federal agency that submitted the rule regarding water heater efficiency sta”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.congress.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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