Senators urge Commerce Department to develop common device charger standard

June 17 (UPI) -- Three U.S. Senators are calling on the Commerce Department to develop a plan to deal with the lack of a common charger standard for electronic devices.

Senators Edward Markey, D-Mass.; Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., sent a letter Friday to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the department to develop a comprehensive charger plan.

The senators noted the European Union's recent rule obligating electronics manufacturers to adopt a common standard for mobile devices by 2024.

"We urge you to follow EU's lead by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics," their letter said.

The senators wrote that the need for many different chargers for electronics devices can be a financial burden for consumers.

"Innovation should benefit consumers. It should not come at their expense, saddle them with incompatible accessories, and compel them to purchase different charging equipment for each device they own," they wrote.

The lack of interoperability standards also results in more e-waste and environmental damage, according to the senators.

"We cannot allow the consumer electronics industry to prioritize proprietary and inevitably obsolete charging technology over consumer protection and environmental health," the senators said in their letter.