#WashingMachines: the new water savers? | #Greenspace | Los Angeles Times // Exciting!
On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the U.S. energy department to reconsider California’s request to set its own washing machine standard. While the U.S. energy department has not agreed to the state’s request, it could be granted next year, with the new standard going in to effect some time in 2013.
Jonathan Blees, assistant chief counsel for the California Energy Commission, said the standard does not require consumers to upgrade their machines; it merely requires manufacturers to apply the standard to all California washing machines that are made after the standard goes in to effect.
Blees said many washing-machine models, most of them front-loading, currently meet the 6-gallon standard.
We forget how far the balance had swung under Bush -- this lawsuit against Department of Energy, to enable California to pursue such an obvious energy and water saving policy, is a good reminder. The LA Times blog posting has more details.
