illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: President-elect Donald Trump may struggle to undo Biden’s energy efficiency standards, which target appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners
• These rules, designed to cut billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions and save consumers money, are protected by a federal law preventing rollback
• Trump could slow progress by delaying updates or supporting legal challenges

🔭 The context: Biden’s administration updated standards for two dozen appliances, with projected savings of $270 billion for U.S. households over 20 years
• Energy efficiency, backed by the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, has been a cornerstone of reducing emissions from buildings, which account for nearly a third of U.S. emissions
• Trump’s earlier attempts to undermine similar rules largely failed, as manufacturers continued making efficient products

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Efficiency improvements are among the fastest ways to cut emissions and fight climate change
• Doubling global efficiency efforts could have the largest immediate impact on reducing emissions by 2030
• These rules also save energy and reduce costs, especially for low-income households and renters

⏭️ What's next: Trump’s administration could weaken standards by halting new updates, creating loopholes, or dropping legal defenses of Biden-era rules
• Manufacturers, however, may resist reverting to old standards due to high costs of changing production lines
• Lawsuits and court rulings will likely shape the future of these regulations

💬 One quote: “The law has an anti-backsliding clause that’s very strong. It says that no new standard can be weaker than the existing standard” — Andrew deLaski, Appliance Standards Awareness Project

📈 One stat: Biden’s efficiency rules are expected to cut emissions equivalent to 18 million cars annually and save $107 per household each year on utility bills

Click for more news covering the latest on ethical governance and energy transition