Trump’s War on Appliance Rules Is Causing a Mess
Donald Trump has a long-standing beef with energy-efficient appliances. He’s made fun of “weak” showerheads, toilets that need multiple flushes, dishwashers that don’t clean, and lightbulbs that supposedly make him look orange. Now that he’s back in office, he’s trying again to undo the rules that bug him but this time with a new strategy that’s left everyone from appliance makers to government officials confused.
Back in his first term, Trump tried to weaken water and energy-use regulations, but courts and public backlash stopped most of his moves. Biden reversed the rest. But this time, Trump may have found a backdoor. With help from Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (yes, it’s real), his administration quietly axed a major contract with Guidehouse LLP, a company that handles much of the technical work behind appliance efficiency standards. That contract’s sudden disappearance could cripple the Department of Energy’s ability to enforce the rules.
Experts say the DOE doesn’t have the staff or resources to do this work alone. If Guidehouse is really out, the whole appliance standards program might fall apart. Even appliance manufacturers who often oppose regulation are sounding alarms. Without enforcement, cheap, low-quality products could flood the market.
But no one knows exactly what’s going on. DOE hasn’t clarified anything. Guidehouse isn’t talking either.
The U.S. started setting efficiency standards in 1975, originally to deal with energy shortages. Since then, the rules have helped cut emissions, save consumers money, and reduce water and energy use nationwide. Most Americans support them a 2022 survey showed 76% approval.
Still, Trump is trying to bring his “appliance freedom” crusade back. His latest target? Tankless gas water heaters. Right before leaving office, Biden’s team set new efficiency rules that would phase out older, less-efficient models especially the “non-condensing” ones made by Japanese company Rinnai, which built a $70 million factory in Georgia. Rinnai claims the new rules would kill the plant and jobs, but the truth is they already make the compliant models in Japan and had plans to build them in Georgia too.
Rinnai lobbied hard and got help from the Trump administration. A rollback resolution just passed both the House and Senate. Meanwhile, Trump’s team is also trying to delay enforcement of other rules they can’t legally repeal outright.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright (a Trump pick) is leading the charge, making dramatic claims about over-regulation. But critics say it’s more about creating loopholes and chaos than helping consumers. And the latest executive order on showerheads? It basically just rehashes an old Trump idea to let manufacturers install multiple nozzles a move that manufacturers mostly ignored the first time around.
In short: the Trump team is using whatever tools they can to weaken appliance standards executive orders, contract cancellations, regulatory delays even if it means confusion, legal battles, or gutting a system that saves Americans money.
Trump’s Fight Against Appliance Efficiency Rules: Will His Latest Move Succeed?”
