A new study shows how Energy rules raise costs for consumers

See The Feds Go Turbo from the WSJ. Excerpts:

"Since 2007 the Energy Department has finished more than 25 major rules—those costing more than $100 million—and imposed more than $8 billion in annual costs, says a paper from AAF’s Sam Batkins. That doesn’t include 11 big ones that DOE hopes to polish off by next year. The Clinton Administration’s footprint totaled six major rules in eight years."

"The feds admit that tweaks can be expensive and consumers will “incur higher purchase prices.” That puts it gently, at least for a 2010 rule that by the agency’s own estimates would jack up water-heater costs by more than $450 on average.

As with every green dream, the poor suffer most. According to AAF, a family who bought a refrigerator, a furnace fan and a water heater could pay a hidden “regulatory tax” of about $620"

"By the way, the rules sail through a federally required cost-benefit test thanks to capricious accounting on the “social benefits” of reducing carbon.

Mr. Batkins checked out a 2009 microwave rule that accomplished little if anything because the sale of the food zappers dropped precipitously after the regulation took effect. It’s a similar story for air conditioning standards from 2001. The consistent result is reducing employment: The heating, ventilation and cooling industry—a perennial Energy Department target, with $4 billion in annual costs piled on since 2010—has hemorrhaged 55,000 jobs since 2001."