Authors: Maxine Joselow
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to end Energy Star, a popular program whose iconic blue labels have certified the energy efficiency of home appliances for more than three decades, according to two people briefed on the matter.
During an all-hands meeting Monday of the EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection, Trump administration officials announced that the office would be dissolved and that Energy Star would be eliminated, the two people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
The move, first reported by CNN, builds on the Trump administration’s broader attacks on energy efficiency standards for appliances found in millions of American homes. Such standards have become a flash point in the nation’s culture wars and a source of conservative resistance to President Joe Biden’s environmental agenda.
Yet the decision is likely to draw pushback on Capitol Hill, where Energy Star has historically enjoyed modest bipartisan support. A handful of moderate Republican senators have championed the program, saying it has helped consumers reduce their energy bills while improving the efficiency of refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers and other appliances.
An EPA spokesperson did not directly respond to questions about the apparent end of Energy Star. In an email, the spokesperson said the agency is undergoing a reorganization that affects the Office of Air and Radiation, which includes the Office of Atmospheric Protection.
“With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the agency’s core mission, while Powering the Great American Comeback,” the spokesperson said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who in recent years has championed energy efficiency initiatives, declined to comment when approached by a reporter Tuesday.
Ben Evans, federal legislative director at the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit group that advocates for energy efficiency programs, said axing Energy Star “would be incredibly shortsighted” and would undermine the efforts by the U.S. DOGE Service, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, to save taxpayers money.
“Energy Star saves consumers and businesses more than $40 million every year just by giving them clear information about the energy efficiency of products or buildings,” he said. “And it does that at a cost of $32 million. So it is an incredible bang for the buck.”
Since 1992, Energy Star has helped American families and businesses save more than $500 billion in energy costs, according to a 2023 federal report. It has also prevented roughly 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from entering Earth’s atmosphere – the equivalent emissions reduction of taking more than 933 million gasoline-powered cars off the nation’s roads for a year.
President Donald Trumpfloated canceling or privatizing Energy Star during his first term, but that plan didn’t materialize before he left office. Now, hispartial budget proposal calls for eliminating the EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection but is silent on Energy Star. The office, according tothe proposal, “is an overreach of Government authority that imposes unnecessary and radical climate change regulations on businesses and stifles economic growth.”
The Energy Department also plays a small role in running Energy Star, and Trump’s budget calls for slashing around $2.6 billion from the agency’s Office of Energy Efficiency.
Trump has long targeted efficiency standards for appliances, blaming showerhead guidelines in particular for ruining his “perfect” hair. In April, the president signed an executive order lifting restrictions on how much water can be used by showerheads, saying his administration would “make America’s showers great again.”
A spokeswoman for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which represents companies that make a range of appliances, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Hannah Natanson contributed to this report.
