Biden nixes Trump’s efficiency loophole for quick dishwashers, washers, dryers

The Biden administration this week reversed a Trump-era rule exempting quick dishwashers, as well as clothes washers and dryers, from efficiency regulations.

A rule issued Wednesday cuts two Trump rules that created separate product categories for dishwashers that took 60 minutes or fewer per cycle, certain clothes washers or dryers that took less than 30 minutes and other washers that took less than 45 minutes. 

The creation of these separate classifications for “shortcycle” appliances exempted them from efficiency regulations. 

They were part of the previous administration’s pushback against efficiency regulations, also going after lightbulbs and showerheads. 

The Biden administration has worked to reverse these efforts. 

Efficiency advocate Andrew deLaski described the latest move as necessary, but not enough by itself. 

“Undoing this Trump gimmick is a needed step, but the administration still needs to finish undoing several other Trump rollbacks and start updating standards for dozens of products,” deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said in a statement. 

Proponents of the Trump rule have argued it benefitted consumer choice. 

In its new rule reversing the Trump-era efforts, the Biden administration said it does not believe new products with short cycles have entered the market after the Trump rules, meaning the change will not impact existing products. 

“This rulemaking does not change the cycle times currently available on the market nor does it change the cycle options available on these products,” the rule said.