The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has denied a challenge to the Department of Energy’s enhanced energy efficiency standards for certain appliances.

The DOE standards applied to consumer furnaces (residential non-weatherized gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces) and certain commercial water heaters under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The petitioners, a group of trade associations, manufacturers and energy providers, contended that DOE’s amended energy efficiency standards would expel non-condensing consumer furnaces and commercial water heaters—which they allege offer consumers unique performance characteristics and features—out of the market because they will be unable to meet the newly amended energy efficiency standards, unlike their condensing counterparts.

Petitioners also argued that DOE did not provide adequate economic justification, as is required by EPCA, before promulgating the amended efficiency standards. Lastly, petitioners alleged that DOE failed to adhere to procedural requirements as provided by EPCA when promulgating the Consumer Furnaces Rule.

In a 2-1 decision, the court rejected each of these claims.