Trump Orders Energy Dept. To Cease Enforcement of Biden-Era Appliance Rules
Former President Joe Biden’s roundly criticized “efficiency” rules regarding common household appliances that experts said would dramatically increase costs with only nominal “savings” on energy are going away.
Earlier this month, President Trump directed the Department of Energy to stop enforcing and begin rescinding Obama-era regulations that limit water flow in faucets, showerheads, toilets, dishwashers, and washing machines. He criticized the rules as “unnecessary radical green agenda policies.”
This marks a major step toward ending the federal government’s overreach into everyday household appliances—an effort critics say has long prioritized special interests in Washington at the expense of consumers, notes Restoration News.
Regulations issued under the EPA’s Energy Star program have driven up the cost of appliances, adding as much as $100 to the price of a washing machine, and significantly reduced performance, with dishwashers now taking up to two hours to clean a single load compared to just one hour previously.
The issue dates back to the 1992 Energy Policy Act, which created national appliance standards and established the Energy Star program, now widely criticized across party lines. Over the decades, studies have found that these energy and water efficiency rules have actually shortened appliance lifespans and reduced overall effectiveness.
Americans saw a four-year pause on these regulations under Trump’s first term, during which his administration worked to roll back many of the most burdensome standards. But the Biden-Harris administration quickly reversed those efforts, ushering in a new wave of restrictions that, critics argue, made things even worse, the outlet noted.
“Lightbulb prices have doubled due to Biden-era regulations. The eco-activist attack on natural gas would’ve rendered gas-fired water heaters unaffordable for most families. Yet Biden’s electric water heater standards would’ve sent prices skyrocketing by nearly $1,000 if they were allowed to go into effect in 2029, the year Kamala Harris would be leaving office if she’d won the White House last year,” said the outlet.
“Recall that the Left’s climate change paranoia sparked a campaign to rid America of gas stoves in 2023 using these same efficiency standards—even as Harris posed next to her own gas stove for a touching Thanksgiving photo,” it added.
Trump’s order says, in part:
Water conservation requirements for faucets, showers, bathtubs, and toilets — promulgated by the Department of Energy pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-486) — make bathroom appliances more expensive and less functional. “Efficiency” standards render other American appliances like clothes washers and dishwashers less useful, more breakable, and more expensive to repair. The Federal Government should not impose or enforce regulations that make taxpayers’ lives worse.
To address these unnecessary radical green agenda policies, I direct the Secretary of Energy to consider using all lawful authority to rescind — or, as appropriate, amend to revert to the standards required by statute — the regulations found in 10 C.F.R. 430.32(f), relating to water and energy use in dishwashers; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(o), relating to water use in faucets; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(p), relating to water use in showerheads; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(q), relating to water use in water closets; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(r), relating to water use in urinals; the definitions of “automatic clothes washer,” “clothes washer,” “dishwasher,” “faucet,” “other clothes washer,” “semi-automatic clothes washer,” “urinal,” and “water closet” contained in 10 C.F.R. 430.2; the residential washing machine efficiency standards contained in 10 C.F.R. 430.32(g); and the commercial washing machine efficiency standards contained in 10 C.F.R. 431.156.
I further direct the Secretary of Energy not to enforce any of the regulatory provisions listed in this memorandum…
However, all of that could quickly change under a future Democratic president. Democratic leaders continue to push aggressive “green” policies that come with multi-trillion-dollar price tags, despite little evidence that they meaningfully benefit the environment.
Critics argue these initiatives primarily serve to enrich lobbyists, activists, and members of the Washington consultant class, rather than delivering real results for the planet, Restoration News added.
