How Trump may overhaul DOE efficiency rules

By Christa Marshall | 01/16/2025 06:32 AM EST

The president-elect — who has railed against restrictions on appliances — is poised to revisit changes he set in motion during his first term.

collage illustration of Donald Trump with a light bulb, bar graph with ticker going up

Illustration by Claudine Hellmuth/POLITICO (source images via AP and iStock)

President-elect Donald Trump’s push to roll back regulations is raising questions about how his administration may alter one of the largest U.S. sources of emissions: people’s homes.

On his website and in recent public comments, Trump has said President Joe Biden needlessly put restrictions on appliances ranging from heaters to showerheads that are crimping consumer choice and raising costs.

“Even in areas that have so much water you don’t know what to do … no water comes out of the shower. It goes drip, drip, drip,” Trump said about Biden’s rules during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago this month.

Advertisement

Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Energy, Chris Wright, also questioned during his confirmation hearing Wednesday whether DOE clothes dryer limitations are effective.

GET FULL ACCESS