The Energy Star programme was recently proposed for elimination under the Trump administration’s budget. It was launched initially by the George W. Bush administration and is now among the most successful public-private partnerships in U.S. history, with more than 16,000 partner companies and organisations participating. The programme is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and certifies a a wide variety of products as highly efficient – from appliances to electronics to buildings and manufacturing facilities. It is also widely known – with more than 90 percent brand recognition – by the small blue Energy Star logo that appears on products sold across the country.
The programme, which costs about $50 million per year to administer, saves consumers more than $34 billion per year in reduced energy costs. It has enjoyed strong bipartisan support for 25 years, but the Trump Budget, released last month by the White House, calls for its elimination, along with other programmes administered by the EPA.
The letter, which was sent Monday and can be found here, was led by the Alliance to Save Energy and signed by leading companies including A.O. Smith, North America’s largest manufacturer of residential and commercial water heaters; Andersen Corporation, the largest door and window manufacturer in North America; CBRE Group, Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm; Cree, a global manufacturer of LEDs and other products; Ingersoll Rand, parent company of brands such as Trane; Seattle City Light, the city’s publicly owned electric utility; and United Technologies Corp., parent company of Carrier and other brands.
“Energy Star is a model for successful collaboration between the public and private sectors” the letter states. “It enjoys a long track record of success and should be strengthened, not weakened, to ensure it continues providing these important benefits to the public while helping us meet our energy and environmental goals.”
Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, an energy efficiency advocacy group based in Washington, added that shutting down the programme would hurt American businesses, consumers and the overall US economy, and that Alliance to Save Energy strongly encourages the administration to reconsider the budget proposal.
“This letter demonstrates the enormous business support for a venerable public-private partnership and sends a clear directive to Washington: keep the Energy Star program going and growing” Ms Callahan said.
Like many of the energy efficiency programmes in the federal government, Energy Star delivers enormous benefits to the country. It stimulates innovation, creates jobs and saves consumers billions of dollars, all while significantly reducing harmful pollution, including carbon emissions. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), energy efficiency supports nearly 2.2 million jobs across the country in manufacturing, installation, construction and other sectors.
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