ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Maine, 14 other states and New York City on Wednesday sued the U.S. Department of Energy for failing to enact stronger energy standards required by Congress for 22 common appliances, including air conditioners, water heaters, motors and lamps.

The suit, led by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, claims the federal agency has failed to set tougher energy requirements for manufacturers that would save electricity, natural gas and oil. Some deadlines set by Congress lapsed years ago, the state officials said.

They estimate if the standards were set, the annual energy savings would meet the total energy needs of 3 million to 12 million American households. The electricity savings would equal the output of 13 to 42 large power plants, the state officials claimed in the civil lawsuit.

Other attorneys general and officials involved in the lawsuit are from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

There was no immediate comment from the federal agency.

“As oil and gas prices hit record levels and the impacts of global warming become apparent, it is profoundly disappointing that the federal government has failed to adopt these crucial energy-saving standards,” said Spitzer, a Democrat who is running for governor.

The state attorneys general claimed the federal Energy Department is six to 13 years behind schedule on writing new regulations and that the agency hasn’t adopted any appliance-efficiency standards since January 2001.

The state officials say the effort is bipartisan and their complaints date to the Democratic Clinton administration.

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