On Friday morning, the Trump administration finalized a rule creating a new class of dishwashers that wash and dry in an hour.
“Today, the Trump administration reaffirmed its commitment to reducing regulatory burdens and reinstating consumer choice for American families,” Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said. “With this final rule-making, we are once again letting the American people — not Washington — decide what appliances to use in their homes.”
The Energy Department acted in response to a petition filed by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free market think tank. Consumers upset about slow dishwashers flooded the public comment docket in support of the Energy Department proposal.
But environmental groups and Democrat-led states argue the Energy Department’s move is an effort to undermine the agency’s energy conservation program, which also cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
The new rule would establish a separate product class for dishwashers that clean and dry dishes within one hour, an action that would exclude those appliances from current energy and water conservation standards until separate rules are crafted.
Appliance makers and energy efficiency advocates warned that companies making new, quicker dishwashers could cost consumers more money in the long run. Manufacturers would face additional costs to introduce new lines of dishwashers and comply with new standards, which could trickle down to product prices.
Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, said today’s dishwashers perform more effectively than older models even while using less energy and water.
“In the end, this rule will neither make dishwashers perform better nor offer quicker cycles,” Nadel said in a statement on Friday.
