Business Groups Press Congress to Fund ENERGY STAR

More than three dozen business groups urge appropriators to direct ENERGY STAR funding to the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2027.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Electric Vehicles

Business Groups Press Congress to Fund ENERGY STAR

Live Poll

Should the federal government keep funding the ENERGY STAR energy-efficiency program?

The National Association of Manufacturers and more than three dozen business groups have urged congressional appropriators to fund the ENERGY STAR program for fiscal year 2027, directing the money to the Department of Energy. The request follows EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's announcement that management of the voluntary efficiency initiative will shift from the EPA to the DOE.

Why it matters

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program that promotes energy efficiency in consumer products, and the coalition argues its public-private partnership supports energy affordability. The funding request ties the program's future to the federal budget process as responsibility moves between agencies.

The coalition seeks at least $33,024,000 for ENERGY STAR, the minimum funding level the House approved earlier this year. The program is credited with helping Americans save more than $500 billion in energy costs since its 1992 creation.

The players

National Association of Manufacturers

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest U.S. manufacturing trade group, representing companies across industrial sectors.

Lee Zeldin

Lee Zeldin is the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency who announced the plan to move ENERGY STAR to the Department of Energy.

The details

The coalition asked that the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill include funding language directing the money to the DOE. Under a memorandum of agreement between the EPA and DOE, the DOE will assume primary responsibility for implementing ENERGY STAR.

1992: ENERGY STAR voluntary energy-efficiency initiative is created.
Earlier in 2026: The House approves ENERGY STAR funding language in its appropriations bill.
Earlier in 2026: Zeldin announces the transfer of ENERGY STAR from the EPA to the DOE.
Fiscal year 2027: The coalition urges Congress to fund the program.

Roadmap

ENERGY STAR, established in 1992, has served as a voluntary efficiency standard across consumer products for more than three decades. Its move from the EPA to the DOE marks a change in which federal agency oversees the program's long-running public-private partnership.

Consumers shopping for efficient appliances and vehicles rely on ENERGY STAR labels, so continued funding affects how those labels are maintained. Whether the program stays at its requested funding level will influence what efficiency information shoppers see on products.

The takeaway

Energy-efficiency labels help shoppers compare products on operating costs, not just sticker price. Checking for the ENERGY STAR mark when buying appliances or EV chargers can reduce long-term energy bills.