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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) received a petition from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) to define a new product class under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended, for residential dishwashers.  The new product class covers dishwashers with a cycle time for the normal cycle of less than one hour from washing through drying.  DOE published this petition and request for comments in the Federal Register on April 24, 2018.  Based upon its evaluation of the petition and careful consideration of the public comments, DOE conducted this rulemaking to consider a dishwasher product class with a cycle time for the normal cycle of less than one hour.  DOE intends to consider the appropriate energy and water use limits for the product class in a separate rulemaking. The rulemaking was finalized October 30, 2020 and went into effect on November 30, 2020.

Statement of Need:

DOE received a petition from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) on March 21, 2018, requesting that DOE establish a product class for dishwashers with a cycle time of one hour or less from washing through drying, for a full load of normally soiled dishes. To address this desired consumer utility, DOE conducted a rulemaking in response to the petition to establish a separate product class for dishwashers with a short cycle time. DOE’s establishment of a product class for short cycle dishwashers is consistent with Congressional intent in authorizing DOE to create separate product classes based on product utility. This rulemaking allows manufacturers to offer new products that meet consumer demand for short dishwasher cycle times, allowing for greater consumer choice among dishwashers and allowing consumers to purchase products that meet their needs.

Summary of the Legal Basis:

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Alternatives:

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Anticipated Costs and Benefits:

This rule would not establish any energy conservation standards for residential dishwashers.  Because this rule establishes a new product class only for short-cycle dishwashers, DOE does not anticipate that this rule would result in costs or benefits.

Risks:

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