President Trump is revisiting his agenda to relax standards on high-efficiency appliances with an executive order aimed at "unleashing American energy." This order seeks to reduce regulations on various household items such as dishwashers, showerheads, and washing machines. Trump previously criticized efficiency standards for impacting the functionality of certain appliances, saying standards such as low showerhead flow affect his "perfect" hair and claiming such toilets had to be flushed excessively.
Federal guidelines have long dictated water and energy consumption limits for appliances, aiming to lower utility bills and conserve resources. The Obama administration tightened these rules, only for Trump's first term to attempt loosening them by creating loopholes favoring higher flow rates. Despite such endeavors, "no manufacturers, to our knowledge, took advantage of those loopholes," according to Andrew deLaski of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.
The Natural Resources Defense Council calls energy efficiency a remedy against energy price hikes, while polls show 58% of Americans support stringent appliance regulations, with 26% opposed (the rest were neutral on the subject). In deLaski's view, rating sites like Wirecutter show "we don't need to use unlimited energy and water to do a good job of cleaning clothes, washing dishes, or providing a great shower." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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