"The Trump administration tried to end the government's Energy Star program last year, but now Congress has passed and President Trump has signed into law bipartisan budget legislation that has the potential to strengthen the energy efficiency program by giving it dedicated funding. Such policy reversals have so far been rare for the Trump administration. But pushback against killing Energy Star came from a broad swath of stakeholders, including industries like real estate and construction, to which President Trump has longstanding ties."
"More than 1,000 manufacturers, home builders, advocacy groups and local governments signed a letter last April asking the administration to keep the program. "What it shows very clearly is that Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, strongly support Energy Star and want to see it continued," says Ben Evans, federal legislative director for the U.S. Green Building Council, which advocated for saving the program."
The Trump administration attempted to end the Energy Star program last year, but Congress and the President enacted bipartisan budget legislation that provides dedicated funding to the program. Lawmakers allocated just over $33 million to the EPA for Energy Star, slightly more than the 2024 fiscal year, reversing a decade-long trend of budget reductions. Broad pushback from manufacturers, home builders, advocacy groups, local governments, and industries tied to President Trump helped preserve the program. The program is financially healthier but faces staffing shortages that have slowed certification of new products. Previously certified products remain available in stores.
Read at www.npr.org
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