Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement in response to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry announcing DOE has approved a petition from the Competitive Enterprise Institute to create a new class of less efficient dishwashers - the latest in DOE’s series of energy efficiency rollbacks:
“It’s outrageous to see the Trump Administration rewarding elitist right-wing think tanks by granting their energy efficiency rollback petitions. This announcement penalizes both the innovators giving us better, more efficient appliances and the consumers who use them. When the rubber meets the road, this Administration consistently bets against American innovation, shortchanges consumers and takes every action possible to make it harder to address our climate crisis.
“Time and again Republicans tell us they care about consumers and want to use innovation as a means for tackling the climate crisis. It will be interesting to see whether they remain silent now, as the Administration once again actively pursues rollbacks that harm both."
