U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently cosponsored legislation that would prohibit the U.S. Secretary of Energy from changing energy conservation standards for distribution transformers for five years after the bill is enacted.
“The Biden administration’s war on American energy continues to make it harder to produce affordable energy for Americans while raising costs for families across the country,” Sen. Tillis said on Tuesday. “I am proud to co-introduce this legislation to stop President Biden from implementing any new anti-American rules on distribution transformers, ensuring we don’t face supply chain shortages.”
Sen. Tillis on June 15 introduced the Protecting America’s Distribution Transformer Supply Chain Act of 2023, S. 2036, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) to repeal the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) authority to propose, finalize, implement, administer, or enforce any energy efficiency standard for distribution transformers for the next five years, the text of the bill says.
The DOE in December 2022 proposed new energy efficiency standards for a variety of distribution transformers. Sen. Tillis thinks the proposed standards could further disrupt the nation’s supply chain by causing extended lead times to procure transformers that would stretch from months to years, according to a bill summary provided by his office.
Several coalitions also are opposed to the DOE’s proposed rule, including the Edison Electric Institute, the American Public Power Association, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and the National Association of Homebuilders, the summary says.
S. 2036 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.