NW Senators rise to save ENERGY STAR program

There aren’t many federal programs that are as unequivocally successful or as cost-effective as ENERGY STAR.  The ENERGY STAR seal, which is awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency to energy efficient products and appliances, helps consumers and businesses save tens of billions of dollars annually on their electric bills.

However, the Trump administration wants to turn this modest but iconic program that accomplishes so much into a “pay to play” scheme in which businesses that want to use the seal for their products would pay a fee to do so.

Led by Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden of Oregon and Maria Cantwell of Washington, sixteen senators have risen up to stop the effort, which they argue would undermine the integrity and credibility of a credential upon which Americans have come to depend as a reliable guide to products that will help them reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

In  a letter to senate leadership opposing the administration’s proposal, the NW senators and their allies point out that the ENERGY STAR program:

  • Partners with over 16,000 retailers, manufacturers, and business.
  • Has saved Americans $34 billion on their utility bills in 2015.
  • Since the program’s launch, has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2.7 billion metric tons.

And, those savings translate into additional jobs and commerce – a reminder that good energy efficiency policy is also good economic policy.

See the letter and reach out to thank Senators Merkley, Wyden, Cantwell, and the others who have signed on.