Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing
Key claim: The Department of Energy says its 2022 energy-efficiency standards for manufactured homes no longer have any legal effect because Congress overrode them in the ROAD to Housing Act.
Abstract
(Rule · Energy Department) In this notification, the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE” or “the Department”) is providing notice that the Department’s Energy Conservation Standards for Manufactured Housing final rule published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2022, has no legal effect in light of the enactment of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (“ROAD Act”).
Why this matters
Manufactured homes account for a significant share of unsubsidized affordable housing stock, and the 2022 DOE rule was the first nationwide efficiency floor targeting them. DOE’s announcement that the ROAD to Housing Act voided those standards shifts the regulatory baseline back to HUD’s existing construction and safety code, affecting builder compliance costs and the long-run utility burden on buyers and tenants of manufactured homes.