HR5184-119

What This Bill Does

This bill rewrites the federal role for energy conservation standards for manufactured housing. Instead of a direct Department of Energy standard-setting structure under section 413 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the Energy Secretary may transmit recommendations to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for revisions to HUD's preemptive manufactured-housing energy standards. Any recommendation must be based on cost-effectiveness and must consider both life-cycle construction and operating costs.

The bill also requires DOE recommendations to estimate the effect of a proposed standard on the initial purchase price of manufactured homes. DOE must consider factory construction techniques, limitations unique to manufactured homes, HUD climate zones, alternative methods that achieve equivalent or better energy performance, and payback periods for added costs. It strikes the existing subsection that supported direct DOE rulemaking and provides that the May 31, 2022 DOE final rule on manufactured-housing energy conservation standards has no force or effect.

Who Benefits and How

Manufactured home builders benefit from less direct DOE control and from recommendation criteria focused on purchase price, factory techniques, and payback periods. Manufactured home buyers seeking lower upfront prices benefit if standards that increase initial costs are weakened or delayed. HUD manufactured-housing program staff benefit from clearer primacy over preemptive standards under the Housing and Community Development Act. Factory-built housing retailers benefit if lower compliance costs keep inventory prices lower. State manufactured-housing regulators benefit from a clearer federal standard-setting channel through HUD.

Who Bears the Burden and How

DOE energy-efficiency staff lose direct rulemaking authority and must frame any future role as recommendations to HUD. Manufactured home residents can bear higher utility costs if weaker standards reduce energy performance over the life of a home. Energy-efficiency contractors and product suppliers may lose demand tied to the 2022 rule. Climate and conservation advocates bear a policy setback because the bill voids the DOE final rule and narrows the path for stronger standards. HUD standards staff must evaluate any DOE recommendations under the revised criteria.

Key Provisions

• Allows the Energy Secretary to transmit manufactured-housing energy-standard recommendations to HUD instead of directly setting standards.
• Requires recommendations to be based on cost-effectiveness using life-cycle construction and operating costs.
• Requires estimates of initial purchase-price impacts for manufactured homes.
• Requires consideration of factory construction techniques, HUD climate zones, alternatives, and payback periods.
• Strikes the existing DOE rulemaking subsection for manufactured-housing energy standards.
• Provides that the May 31, 2022 DOE manufactured-housing energy conservation standards rule has no force or effect.