On Tuesday, President Trump said that his administration will roll back Obamacare’s efficiency standards for a wide range of consumer goods, including incandescent light bulbs that are no longer manufactured in the US, as well as other measures taken by Biden to reduce energy use.
On Tuesday, Trump made an online post instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to return to certain orders regarding water standards and flow in various appliances. These orders, which were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden, addressed issues such as sinks, showers, toilets, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. Additionally, he asked Zeldin to return to the commonsense standards regarding lights, which were implemented by the Trump administration but terminated by Biden.
At the helm of the Environmental Protection Agency is Zeldin. For consumer goods and appliances, the task of developing efficiency requirements falls on the Energy Department, not the EPA.
But Trump has consistently criticized product efficiency standards—including those for light bulbs and shower heads—and this post just reiterates his views.
The Department of Energy (DOE) routinely examines and revises specifications for a variety of home appliances and items.
New washing machines and dishwashers were among the many appliances whose criteria were raised as the agency concluded multiple rulemakings during Biden’s leadership. In 2023, the department finally started implementing new efficiency requirements that made incandescent light bulbs for homes obsolete. This came after years of policy conflicts and debates.
A combination of manufacturing, efficiency, and consumer organizations recommended some of the regulations proposed by Biden. The savings in money and emissions that would result from the regulations were frequently highlighted by the Biden DOE.
On the other hand, such measures have been denounced by the Trump administration and its congressional allies as an attempt by the federal government to impose its will on consumers.
A request for comment on Trump’s post on Tuesday was not immediately replied to by either the DOE or the EPA.
The process to evaluate the efficiency requirements set in place during the past administration has already begun by Chris Wright, Trump’s energy secretary.
Wright ordered “a comprehensive review” of the department’s appliance standards program to be initiated in his first secretarial order.
“Affordability and consumer choice will be our guiding light,” Wright stated, adding that the Department will follow a reasonable approach that does not legislate items that customers value out of the market.