Congress proposes continued funding for Energy Star efficiency program

In July, the House Appropriations Committee passed a spending bill for the coming fiscal year including level funding – $32 million – for EPA to continue to administer the Energy Star efficiency program. The Senate Appropriations Committee took similar action a week later, approving its own spending bill  funding Energy Star at an even higher level than the House version. The president’s FY26 budget request proposed eliminating funding for the popular energy efficiency label.

With Congress out until September and a the new fiscal year starting October 1st, a continuing budget resolution to keep the government open could still leave the Energy Star program vulnerable to being defunded or privatized, but, for now, the program remains operational and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have gone on record supporting EPA’s continued role in administering the program.

“Since 1992, the Energy Star label has helped consumers understand whether the product they are buying is energy-efficient,” said Johanna Neumann, Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy at Environment America. “And it’s working. A recent survey found nearly 90% of households recognize the blue Energy Star label. Americans trust the Energy Star label to provide simple, credible, and unbiased information that helps them reduce energy waste.”