A new Department of Energy (DOE) rule requiring mobile homes to be made more energy-efficient in order to reduce carbon emissions not only will have no effect on carbon emissions, but also will drive up the cost of such housing, making it unaffordable for many low-income households.
The DOE’s rule — all 97 pages of it — requires mobile, or manufactured, homes to meet strict energy-conservation standards by improving insulation and sealing. The rule is set to take effect next Wednesday, barely more than a year after it was finalized.