The “efficiency” standard provides other American appliances… so useful, fragile and more expensive to repair,” the president’s memo said.
On May 9, President Donald Trump moved to cancel energy efficiency standards for appliances, calling it an “unnecessary radical green agenda policy.”
The memo orders energy secretary Chris Wright to review and cancel rules restricting water use in shower heads, dishwashers, toilets, urinals and washing machines, and returns these rules to the minimum required in the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
The executive order will have a major impact on the Energy Star program. This is managed by the EPA in coordination with the Ministry of Energy. In this program, the EPA can establish guidelines for energy efficiency and enable certain categories of appliances that meet these specifications to display the Energy Star logo.
Trump said his command would help increase the effectiveness of bathroom products, and said the standards imposed in the aftermath of the 1992 law reduced consumer choices and made the product more functional compared to before the law.
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“Ultra-efficient washing machines cost at least $100, according to the Department of Energy. Due to updated dishwasher regulations, these appliances took more than two hours to complete a regular dish, taking twice as long as pre-standard models.”
Previously, on January 20th, Trump signed an executive order to “protect the freedom of Americans to choose from a variety of products and appliances, including light bulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, shower heads, and more.”
On the same day, Trump signed several measures passed by Congress under the Congressional Review Act, which would remove rules from President Joe Biden’s administration related to energy efficiency.
The measure abolished regulations on gas water heaters, walk inks and freezers, as well as energy saving standards for some appliances, some consumer products and commercial freezers.
“It’s all about common sense,” Trump said as Republican lawmakers signed adjacent laws.
This withdrawal comes amid the ongoing “reorganization” of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Lee Zeldin Department.
In the video, Zeldin said before the Trump administration, regulators spent $63 billion “including all sorts of political slash funds,” but it cost around $8 billion to $10 billion to run the institution.
“This reorganization brings the efficiency needed to incorporate science into our rulemaking, sharply focusing our work on providing the cleanest air, land and water to our communities, and saving at least $300 million a year for Americans,” Zeldin said.
Such an exclusive focus shows a departure from climate activity that has defined institutions in the past, and fits Trump’s greater commitment to reducing regulations that the President has harmed America’s energy production and use.
