Biden DOE’s new ceiling fan proposals threaten small businesses’ ability to stay afloat

A proposed rule change by the Department of Energy to make ceiling fans more energy efficient is receiving pushback from Republicans in the House Committee on Small Business who fear the new regulations could put small manufacturers out of business. 

In a letter to the Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on Thursday, the group of Republicans wrote, "This rule would require numerous small business fan manufacturers to redesign their products and may put between 10 and 30 percent of small business ceiling fan manufacturers out of business." 

"It appears that the Department of Energy (DOE) may not have properly considered small entities during this rulemaking process," it continued. "It is important for agencies to examine small business interests - which make up 99.9 percent of all businesses in the United States - when passing any new rule." 

"America's small businesses deserve to have their voices heard and considered," the letter added. 

Analysis from the DOE shows that the new rules would save the average consumer $39.84 over the device's lifespan while costing manufacturers a total of $86.6 million per year in increased equipment costs. 

A DOE spokesperson defended the proposed changes in a statement to Fox News, saying, "These proposed standards, which are required by Congress, wouldn’t take effect until 2028, would give Americans more energy efficient options to choose from, and would save hardworking taxpayers up to $369 million per year, while substantially reducing harmful air pollution — a crucial fact that some have conveniently failed to mention."

On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order titled "Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis." The order required the DOE to create an "Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Procedures for Evaluating Statutory Factors for Use in New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards." 

A former senior Energy Department official who served during the Trump administration told Fox News in the past, "Their philosophy is energy efficiency at all costs or energy efficiency no matter the cost," and that this "means we are going to see, as a result of their efficiency standards, higher-priced appliances. It’s that simple."

The Biden administration previously implemented a ban on incandescent light bulbs which took effect on August 1, among other regulations since taking office.