Department of Energy Withdraws Final Rule Implementing Energy Efficiency Standards for Manufactured Housing

Date: January 31st, 2017

Explanation: Regulatory action

Agencies: DOE

The Department of Energy (DOE) has withdrawn a final rule to to establish energy conservation standards for manufactured housing, consistent with a directive in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. DOE withdrew the rule pursuant to President Trump’s memorandum calling for a regulatory freeze pending review of regulations.

The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register in June 2016. DOE submitted the final rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review and publication on November 1, 2016.  But the final rule was not yet published as of January 21, 2017 (the date of the regulatory freeze), and was therefore withdrawn in its entirety.

The energy efficiency standards, based mostly on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), except where the DOE found the IECC to be not cost-efficient, established requirements related to duct leakage; heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC); service hot water systems; mechanical ventilation fan efficacy; and heating and cooling equipment sizing. The rule also established requirements related to climate zones and the building thermal envelope of manufactured homes.

According to the DOE, the new energy efficiency standards could reduce total CO₂ emissions by 60.5 and 97.6 million metric tons, from single-section and multi-section homes, respectively, purchased between 2017-2046. The DOE also calculated the net economic impact of the standards, and concluded that they would generate $5.29-$8.93 billion in net consumer benefits and $11.52-$31.95 billion in net nationwide benefits over a 30-year period. The nationwide benefits are much larger because they include the environmental impacts of the anticipated CO2 and NOx reductions.

A summary of the final rule can viewed here, and the full text of the proposed rule can be viewed here.