EPA to end Energy Star program
The Trump administration will end the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program that has set energy efficiency standards for more than three decades.
Established in 1992, Energy Star was a public-private partnership that encouraged manufacturers to develop and promote energy-efficient, cost-saving appliances. Energy Star appliances are marked by the blue Energy Star label.
The program’s most recent annual report says that since its inception, Energy Star standards and products have saved 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4 billion metric tons, and avoided over $500 billion in energy costs from 1992 through 2023.
In March, 36 industry groups and appliance manufacturers sent a letter to EPA in support of Energy Star. The letter stated that eliminating the program would not serve the American public and could lead to initiatives that undermine the administration’s goals by decreasing product features, functionality, or increasing costs.
The Trump administration during its first term had attempted to defund Energy Star, but opposition from more than 1,000 companies and lawmakers kept the program alive. Some real estate developers contend that the program benefits multifamily owners and residents by lowering energy costs in apartments.
