"SAN FRANCISCO -- The Energy Department must reconsider California's energy- and water-saving standards for residential washing machines, a federal court ruled [last] week.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals here Wednesday overturned DOE's 2006 decision denying California a waiver from the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. On the books since 2002, the rule would require washers sold in 2007 to use no more than 8.5 gallons of water per cubic foot of washing machine capacity, falling to 6 gallons by 2010."

Debra Kahn reports for Greenwire in the New York Times October 30, 2009. [2]