Attorney General Ashley Moody today led a 23-state coalition of attorneys general opposing the Biden administration’s latest regulations on household appliances. The coalition contends that new standards for washing machines will impose unnecessary costs on consumers and negatively impact product performance.
Moody stated, “The Biden administration remains adamant on continuing to push radical, stringent and costly energy policies directly into your household in hopes that no one will notice—this time, weaseling into our laundry rooms. As a mom and your Attorney General, I am proud to fight on behalf of moms against white baseball pants and push back to keep these senseless policies out of American households.”
The action follows the release of a direct final rule by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regulating residential clothes washers. The attorneys general argue that the rule does not consider the economic impact on consumers who may face increased appliance costs. In a letter to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, they requested either abandoning the rule or allowing for public comment before its enactment.
The coalition highlighted concerns from several appliance companies and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM). According to AHAM, the proposed rule would “eliminate consumer features, reduce choice, significantly increase cost, and/or negatively impact product performance.” Whirlpool's research indicated a potential 25% cost increase for consumers and a possible 31% loss in industry net present value, which could result in over 8,000 job losses.
Although AHAM and some states eventually consented to the new rule in a joint statement with advocacy groups such as the Alliance for Water Efficiency and Earthjustice, the attorneys general claim this agreement was due to administrative pressure. They argue that these advocacy groups do not represent everyday consumers' interests.
The attorneys general also assert that DOE cannot issue such rules without broad agreement across different viewpoints. They emphasize that while states like Massachusetts and California support the proposal, many others do not. The coalition insists that DOE should not bypass standard rulemaking procedures by favoring politically aligned states.
The letter urges DOE to reconsider its direct final rule considering these objections.
Joining Attorney General Moody were attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.