Michael Phyllis and Alexa St. John
The Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to eliminate the Energy Star office will end a decades-old program where consumers can choose to buy eco-friendly refrigerators, dishwashers and other electronic devices and save money on electricity bills, Consumers and Environment Group said.
The changes outlined in agency documents reviewed by the Associated Press are part of a widespread reorganization at the EPA that eliminates or reorganizes key parts of the office focused on air pollution. These plans focus on President Donald Trump’s sudden turn on climate change in previous administrations.
The EPA did not directly confirm that it had ended the program originally reported by CNN on Tuesday, but the reorganization “provides organizational improvements to the HR structure that will directly benefit the people of America and promote a great American comeback while also providing better advancement in the agency’s core mission.”
The EPA launched the Energy Star in 1992 with the goal of tackling environmental protection and economic growth. This will boost the market for energy-efficient products and profit companies that design label-earning appliances. A home that decides to buy Energy Star products can save $450 a year on energy costs, the program’s website says.
“People are aware of it right away, so they’ll think, ‘Oh, it’s an energy star, so maybe I should go with this,'” said Francis Dietz, a spokesman for the Trade Association’s Institute of Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration.
Stephen Nadell, executive director of the American Council for an energy-efficient economy, said the program had enjoyed bipartisan support until recently. If many products are able to meet label requirements, tightening the standards will promote efficiency, he said.
Massive savings on money and pollution
Since its launch, the program has reduced energy costs by more than $500 billion and prevented greenhouse gas emissions that warm around 4 billion tonnes of planets. While electrical appliances can be responsible for large amounts of air pollution, efficiency measurements can reduce carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter that generate electricity in the atmosphere. These contaminants can harm the heart and lungs and cause other health problems.
Trump’s proposed budget calls for Congress to eliminate the entire EPA atmospheric protection program. The budget described the program as “overreaching government authorities to impose unnecessary and radical climate change regulations on businesses and curb economic growth.”
However, Sarah Gleeson, Climate Solutions Research Manager at Climate Action Nonprofit Project Drawddown, said that the independence of America’s energy depends on our ability to meet our energy needs, and reducing our programs puts it at risk and at the same time burdens our households.
Gleason said losing the energy star would make it difficult for consumers to have reliable information about the energy use of their products.
The label was voluntary and Congress ordered it
Energy Star Labels are voluntary for products that meet certain efficiency levels and are different from the Department of Energy standards that set the minimum efficiency requirements that must be met in order to legally sell the product. In the 2000s, Congress directed the EPA and the Department of Energy to implement energy efficiency programs and promote energy stars.
The DOE did not comment on the change or its role and postponed the question to the EPA. According to the program’s website, the role of DOE includes developing product testing procedures. The EPA is responsible for setting performance levels and enabling consumers to rely on labels.
Association of Home Appliance Makers said they support streamlined energy star programs through DOE. “It will meet the administration’s goal of maintaining a full selection of products that consumers can choose and reducing the burden of unnecessary regulations,” spokeswoman Jill Nottini said.
The move is the latest in the Trump administration’s broader deregulation efforts. They announced plans to cut Biden-era policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prioritize fossil fuels and energy control policies.
The president is particularly keen to eliminate standards of efficiency, claiming that they will cost more, be less effective and lead to products that deny consumer choice. Trump has reversed rules restricting water flow in shower heads and other appliances.
Trump targeted the Energy Star during his first stint at the White House, but faced a backlash.
“In the case of an administration that continues to insist that it faces an energy emergency, Trump continues to attack any effort aimed at saving energy through efficiency,” Xavier Boatwright, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Energy and Electrification Legislative Office. “When we waste energy through inefficient appliances, the fossil fuel industry uses it to extract and sell more products and make more money on the American back.”
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation in its water and environmental policy coverage. AP is solely responsible for all content. For all AP environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
Original issue: May 8, 2025, 5:37pm EDT
