Establishes federal back stop language for any provisions of federal law relating to any of the energy or water conservation standards issued or approved for publication by the office of the United States Secretary of Energy as of January 19, 2025

Rhode Island Bill: Federal Backstop for Energy & Water Conservation Standards

This bill would establish a "backstop" in Rhode Island state law to preserve certain federal energy and water conservation standards. Specifically, it would lock in any energy or water efficiency standards that were issued or approved for publication by the U.S. Secretary of Energy as of January 19, 2025. The idea is that if the federal government weakens, rolls back, or eliminates those standards at the national level, Rhode Island would still require those same standards to be followed within the state.

The bill affects a wide range of people and industries, including manufacturers, retailers, and consumers of appliances and products covered by federal energy and water efficiency rules — things like refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, lighting, and similar household and commercial equipment. Businesses that sell or manufacture these products in Rhode Island would need to continue meeting the January 2025 federal standards, even if federal rules later change.

In practical terms, this bill is about state independence on efficiency rules. Rather than automatically following any future federal changes that loosen standards, Rhode Island would maintain its own floor based on where federal rules stood on that specific date. This approach has been used by other states as a way to maintain existing consumer and environmental protections at the state level.

The bill was introduced in the Rhode Island House and referred to the House Corporations Committee, which has recommended holding it for further study. That means it has not yet advanced and lawmakers are still reviewing it.