WASHINGTON — President Trump proclaimed Tuesday that he will be reversing former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on water-using appliances and energy-eating lightbulbs — the day after he nixed a ban on paper straws.
Trump said he is instructing Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Lee Zeldin to “immediately” carry out the order to go back to his first administration’s standards — which will return such things as incandescent bulbs.
“I am hereby instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to immediately go back to my Environmental Orders, which were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden, on Water Standards and Flow pertaining to SINKS, SHOWERS, TOILETS, WASHING MACHINES, DISHWASHERS, etc., and to likewise go back to the common sense standards on LIGHTBULBS, that were put in place by the Trump Administration, but terminated by Crooked Joe,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I look forward to signing these Orders. THANK YOU!!!”
The Biden administration had set new energy-efficiency standards for various household appliances, saying the move would save Americans money and combat the country’s carbon footprint.
Many of the regulations were set to come into effect in 2027 and 2029. The Biden Department of Energy had already signed off on the necessary accompanying compliance policies for dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, cooking products and more.
While in office, Biden also had reversed a rule that Trump had pushed for that allowed more water to flow through shower heads. In 2020, Trump joked he was working to relax the water pressure standards because his hair had to look “perfect.”
In addition, the Biden administration had vowed in July 2024 to “phase out” plastics including straws in federal food service, with the end of procurement due in 2027. Trump signed an executive order reversing that move Monday.
The Energy Department under Biden also had finalized a new standard for lightbulbs, requiring new bulbs after July 2028 to be produced with greater energy efficiency. The new efficiency standards were aimed at banning halogen and incandescent bulbs.
The lightbulb rule had been in the works since 2007 with the passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act, but the Trump administration blocked the rule from taking effect in his first term.
Trump has railed against the new lightbulbs for years, claiming incandescent lightbulbs are cheaper and make people look better in their soft yellow light.
“They took away our lightbulb,” he said at a rally in 2019. “I want an incandescent light. I want to look better, OK?
“I want to pay less money to look better,” Trump said. “Does that make sense? You pay much less money and you look much better. And on top of that, with the new bulbs, if they break, it’s considered a hazardous waste site. It’s all gases inside, and you’re supposed to bring it back to where you bought it in a sealed container. Give me a break.”
