Staff Reports
The Department of Energy (DOE) under the Biden administration has suggested two regulations to enhance the efficacy of household refrigerators and laundry machines. Although these rules are being promoted as environmentally beneficial, they come with a substantial cost. Dan Goldbeck, who serves as the American Action Forum’s Director of Regulatory Policy, estimates that implementing these regulations would increase consumer expenses by billions of dollars and result in over 584,323 more hours of paperwork per year.
Week in Regulation: Energy Efficiency Proposals Drive Week Back into the Billions – @DtheGman #WeekInReghttps://t.co/GfwYF9sicW
— American Action Forum (@AAF) March 6, 2023
According to the DOE, the suggested regulations would lead to a minimum of $14.4 billion in regulatory expenses, with incremental product costs of at least $7.58 billion for laundry machines and $6.9 billion for refrigerators. The DOE also anticipates that the rule’s benefits to the environment and health will be worth at least $18 billion. Nevertheless, these regulations’ cost remains considerable and will ultimately be borne by diligent American taxpayers.
These regulations not only come with a significant cost but also form a larger pattern of increased regulation under the Biden administration. Since President Joe Biden took office, his administration has put into effect 543 new rules, which require 218.9 million paperwork hours and cost $359.4 billion. This stands in sharp contrast to the Trump and Obama administrations, which implemented 598 and 770 rules, respectively, resulting in regulatory costs of $6.9 billion and $208.9 billion.
The Biden administration appears to have a determined agenda of over-regulating American citizens, regardless of the expense. This is another instance of the administration prioritizing the satisfaction of their environmentally-oriented supporters rather than helping the general public. Instead of concentrating on pleasing their base, the Biden administration should concentrate on implementing policies that benefit all Americans.
