[ 2025 ]
[ 2025 ]
SPRING LITERATURE Showcase
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
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24 JUNE 2025 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www. fueloilnews. com