For more than three decades, energy-efficient appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators and dishwashers have been easy to find at home improvement and big box stores. Customers can always see the products displaying the Energy Star blue label and symbol.
Now, The New York Times has reported that the Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate the Energy Star program, which former President George H. W. Bush created in 1992.
During a staff meeting on Monday, May 5, the EPA announced that it would eliminate the divisions overseeing climate change and energy efficiency as part of a reorganization. The offices being eliminated include the division that controls Energy Star.
What did the notice from top managers supposedly say?
The report quoted Paul Gunning, the director of the Office of Atmospheric Protections, as saying, “The Energy Star program and all other climate work, outside of what’s required by statute, is being de-prioritized and eliminated.”
Energy
Energy Star has saved families and businesses $500 billion in energy costs since George H. W. Bush created the program in 1992.
The blue label signified that an appliance met government energy efficiency standards. Many American shoppers look for the label to use less electricity, while at the same time reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
A money saver?
Paula Glover, the president of the Alliance to Save Energy, told the Times that the program costs about $32 million a year to implement but saves $40 billion on utility bills each year.
“Eliminating the Energy Star program is counterintuitive to this administration’s pledge to reduce household costs,” she said.
The Energy Star website touts that it has helped families and businesses save more than $500 billion in energy costs since its inception.
Why is the change coming now?
President Donald Trump has criticized energy-efficient appliances since taking office in January. He already signed an executive order eliminating federal standards on low-flow toilets and showerheads, which are designed to conserve water. He tried, unsuccessfully, to cut funding for Energy Star during his first administration, believing that the private sector could run it.
A spokeswoman for the EPA did not confirm for the NYT that they are eliminating Energy Star, but said they are making “organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the agency’s core mission.”
In March, several companies and organizations urged new EPA administrator Lee Zeldin to keep Energy Star, telling him that eliminating the program would not serve the American people.
On Friday, May 2, Zeldin announced that the EPA is also cutting staff to levels seen in the 1980s when there were between 11,000 and 14,000 employees. It currently has a workforce of about 15,000 people.
“This reorganization will bring much-needed efficiencies to incorporate science into our rulemakings and sharply focus our work on providing the cleanest air, land and water for our communities,” Zeldin said.
Zeldin claimed the moves would save $300 million a year for the American people.
Americans have come to recognize the blue label of Energy Star since its introduction in 1992. According to energy efficiency advocates, the program has enjoyed support from all presidents and administrations, except for President Trump.
