The Department of Energy is proposing to waive stringent energy standards for dishwashers that get the job done in under an hour, by making a new class of home appliances, according to The Hill.
The proposal follows a petition by Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a libertarian think tank, per the report.
"CEI stated that dishwasher cycle times have become dramatically longer under existing DOE energy conservation standards, and that consumer satisfaction/utility has dropped as a result of these longer cycle times," according to the DOE's grant of petition in July.
Critics oppose the plan because reducing efficiency standards would weaken incentives for companies to create more efficient appliances.
"Under the guise of responding to consumer complaints that today's energy- and water-efficient dishwashers take too long, the Department of Energy has proposed creating a new class of dishwashers that wouldn't be subject to any water or energy efficiency standards at all," according to spokesperson for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Pat Remick.
"That would not only undermine three decades of progress for consumers and the environment, the move is based on serious distortions of fact regarding today's dishwashers."
A future decision on the "appropriate" energy and water use standards for the new class of appliance will come later from the DOE, per The Hill.
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