To satisfy Trump, Energy Dept finalizes foolish showerhead policy [View all]

[babylonsister]

Good to see he's tackling the important things.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/satisfy-trump-energy-dept-finalizes-foolish-showerhead-policy-n1251383

To satisfy Trump, Energy Dept finalizes foolish showerhead policy
There is no reason to do this. There's no evidence of public demand for such a change, and it serves no policy purpose to abandon the existing standards.
Dec. 16, 2020, 10:03 AM EST
By Steve Benen


The Trump administration only has five weeks remaining, but officials throughout the executive branch are hardly taking a passive approach to the outgoing president's preferences. Reuters reported late yesterday, for example, on a new regulatory policy designed to make Donald Trump happy.

The U.S. Energy Department on Tuesday finalized two rules easing energy standards on consumer fixtures and appliances, including one on shower heads after President Donald Trump complained some showers don't adequately rinse his hair. The rules are part of Trump's last-minute efforts to roll back rules that limit production or consumption of oil, gas and coal as part of his "energy dominance" policy.

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The Associated Press had a related report, noting that consumer and conservation groups believe changing the existing standards is "silly, unnecessary and wasteful, especially as the West bakes through a historic two-decade-long megadrought." The same article explained the practical implications of the change:

Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads shouldn't pour more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute (9.5 liters). As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration defined the showerhead restrictions to apply to what comes out in total. So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons total should come out between all four. The new proposal Wednesday would allow each nozzle to spray as much as 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead. With four or five or more nozzles, "you could have 10, 15 gallons per minute powering out of the showerhead, literally probably washing you out of the bathroom," said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the energy conservation group Appliance Standards Awareness Project.

There is no reason to do this. Indeed, there's no evidence of public demand for such a change, and it serves no policy purpose to abandon the existing standards.

But in an era of post-policy Republican governance, this is how Trump and his team operate.