DOE Sides with AWE in Revoking Standards for Dishwashers, Washers and Dryers that Undermine Water Efficiency

Today the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) once again praised the Department of Energy (DOE) for proposing to undo Trump-era rules that slashed efficiency standards.

The previous Administration’s DOE created separate “product classes” for dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers that have a short cycle as the “normal” cycle, meaning such models would not need to meet decades-old energy and water standards. Fortunately, no major manufacturer created a model to exploit the loophole and many publicly opposed the 2020 rules.

AWE, Environment America, and U.S. PIRG filed a lawsuit to block these changes, and DOE’s proposal would side with our appeal and revert to the previous federal standard. AWE and our partners also appealed a Trump-era rule that weakened water efficiency standards for showerheads, which the DOE already proposed to reverse last month.

AWE President and CEO Ron Burke issued this statement:

“The DOE proposal is another great step toward restoring the efficiency standards that were undermined by last year's rulemakings. We look forward to the return of dishwasher, clothes washer, and dryer efficiency standards that have been successful for decades. With so much of the country struggling with drought, it's especially important that we decrease energy use and power plant emissions, lower consumers’ water bills, and save billions of gallons of water with high-efficiency, high-performance appliances.”