Marsha Blackburn: “The Department of Energy has proposed new rulemaking that will eliminate the use of noncondensing natural gas home…”

“The Department of Energy has proposed new rulemaking that will eliminate the use of noncondensing natural gas home furnaces. On average, condensing furnaces cost $350 more than noncondensing furnaces and require as much as $2,200 in additional installation costs. The DOE itself has estimated that it will cost the American consumer up to $12 billion to install condensing furnaces nationwide. The upfront costs of installing a natural gas condensing furnace may force families to switch to alternative furnaces which are cheaper to install but that cost more to operate. Home furnaces fail and need to be replaced when people are most likely to use them--in the middle of the winter when it is cold outside. Families shouldn't have to face increased costs to replace their natural gas furnaces to get the heat flowing back into their homes. Furthermore, the proposed rule creates a nationwide standard that fails to take into account the different climate zones throughout the country. The Department of Energy has proposed a one-size-fits-all approach that unfairly punishes Americans living in warmer climate zones such as the Southeast. This means that the payback period for the installation of condensing furnaces in the warmer climate zones will be much longer than in the colder zones. My amendment to this appropriations bill will prevent the Department of Energy from using funds to finalize, promulgate, or enforce the proposed rule.…”