News Reports: Trump Administration Planning to End Energy Star
The Trump Administration is planning to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program, according to reports by CNN and other news outlets. The program is “a public-private partnership certifying energy efficient consumer appliances like air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, boilers, refrigerators and washing machines,” the National Energy & Fuels Institute noted in the May 13 issue of its newsletter, National Energy Online News (NEON).
“It is unclear whether the administration has the legal authority to terminate the ENERGY STAR without Congressional authorization,” the newsletter noted. “Both Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration during its first term floated the idea of privatizing the program. This idea is controversial, especially if it is folded into a non-governmental program like the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE). The CEE is dominated by utility interests and does not currently set ‘best in class’ efficiencies for oil-fired systems.”
The newsletter also reported that ENERGY STAR “costs about $30 million per year and its supporters estimate that it has helped save consumers over $500 billion in energy costs since its inception under President George H.W. Bush in 1992.”
More than 1,000 businesses petitioned the EPA to preserve the program in an April 11 electronic letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Here is a portion of the letter, edited for clarity and brevity:
As manufacturers, homebuilders, building owners, small businesses, and other organizations working across the U.S. economy, we write to express our strong support for the ENERGY STAR program and urge you to maintain full funding and staffing levels to ensure it continues delivering unparalleled economic benefits for millions of Americans.
…As the demand on the energy grid increases as a result of America’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) and growing demand for data centers, energy efficiency becomes ever more critical. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has 90% brand awareness and delivers on energy efficiency through significant savings for the American public.
Begun under President George H.W. Bush, ENERGY STAR is among the most successful public-private partnerships in U.S. history. It is a voluntary program with more than 30 years of success driving energy efficiency innovation across economic sectors, from labeled consumer products to buildings and manufacturing plants. It consistently delivers a tremendous return on taxpayer investment: Its current annual budget of approximately $32 million represents less than 1% of EPA’s spending yet saves American households more than $40 billion annually on energy bills. For every dollar the federal government spends on the program, consumers save $350. A fully-funded ENERGY STAR program is particularly important for meeting the Trump administration’s goal of reducing Americans’ energy bills. Our companies have devoted considerable time and resources to partnering with ENERGY STAR because it works for business. We respectfully urge you to stand with us in support of ENERGY STAR by ensuring that it remains well-funded and expertly staffed at EPA.
