Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
President Donald Trump signed a presidential directive on Friday, tasking the Department of Energy to assess and potentially weaken existing water and energy efficiency regulations for household appliances. This includes examining regulations related to dishwashers, washing machines, showers, faucets, toilets, and urinals.
Trump Administration Targets Appliance Efficiency Standards
This directive concludes a week marked by challenges to policies aimed at saving consumers money through incentivizing manufacturers to produce energy-efficient appliances. Reports also surfaced that the Trump administration considered curtailing the Energy Star program as part of a restructuring exercise within the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Role of Energy Star
The Energy Star program certifies appliances for energy efficiency, enabling consumers to readily identify and select the most efficient products via the Energy Star label. The regulations under scrutiny are intended as consumer safeguards, ensuring accessibility to appliances meeting reasonable efficiency benchmarks.
White House Directive Details
According to a White House document, the Secretary of Energy is directed to collaborate with the Office of Legislative Affairs to formulate suggestions for Congress regarding any water pressure or related energy efficiency statutes that could be modified or repealed outright.
Enforcement Pause
The directive also advises the Secretary of Energy to suspend enforcement of the rules specified in the memorandum, pending their potential rescission or revision. “The Federal Government should not implement or enforce regulations that make taxpayers’ lives more difficult,” the presidential memorandum stated.
Concerns Over Potential Impact
“Eliminating these standards will only increase costs for consumers, if they are indeed eliminated,” stated Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. He added, “Congress passed these laws, and the President cannot simply decide to disregard them.”