Congress moves to save Energy Star

Congress has moved to fully fund the Energy Star program, despite the Trump administration’s previously reported plans to axe it. 

What’s happening: The U.S. House on Thursday passed a bipartisan 2026 spending package that provides $8.8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including roughly $33 million for Energy Star.

• While the figure is slightly less than the $36 million allotted last year, the measure represents a compromise between committee members in the House and Senate, as Politico noted. 

Catch up quick: Energy Star was founded in 1992, labeling appliances that meet EPA specifications for energy efficiency. Its logo has become widely recognized by consumers, and the program maintains broad support from the business community.  

• Yes, but: In May 2025, EPA director Paul Gunning told employees that Energy Star was being eliminated, according to a recording obtained by the New York Times. 
• Just two weeks later, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin told a group of lawmakers it could be privatized instead, and has since weighed options that include requiring equipment manufacturers to help cover the program’s costs. 

Why it matters: More than 790,000 Americans are employed in manufacturing or installing Energy Star-certified products, including HVAC equipment, according to its website. 

• If Energy Star were to end, states and utilities would be required to adopt alternative standards, likely creating a patchwork of rebate requirements; contractors would lose a key sales tool; and manufacturers may revert to meeting minimum efficiency standards, proponents have argued. 

The other side: The Trump administration is “committed to being good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” an EPA spokesperson told Homepros in a November email, “and a program that essentially is a government-sponsored advertising scheme doesn’t seem like a good use of hard-working Americans’ money.”

What’s next: The spending package still needs to clear the full Senate — potentially in the coming weeks — and be signed by the president to become law.