President Trump is planning to dismantle the Energy Star program that certifies household appliances as energy efficient.
The move is part of a broader shift at the Environmental Protection Agency, which is moving away from climate-related work under director Lee Zeldin.
"With this action, EPA is delivering organizational improvements to the personnel structure that will directly benefit the American people and better advance the agency’s core mission, while Powering the Great American Comeback,” an EPA spokesman said in a statement to The Washington Times.
The Energy Star program is widely recognized for its blue sticker on appliances that meet the government's energy standards.
While Energy Star devices typically have higher upfront costs, advocates say the program has saved Americans billions on energy bills while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Manufacturers have also supported Energy Star, which is a voluntary program, as an alternative to government regulation. A group of trade organizations wrote to Zeldin in March and urged him to keep Energy Star.
"The ENERGY STAR program is an example of an effective non-regulatory program and partnership between the government and the private sector,” they wrote. “Eliminating it will not serve the American people.”
But the Trump administration is targeting all climate-related work at the EPA, which was weaponized by the Biden administration to pursue a sweeping crackdown on household appliances deemed to be inefficient.
Climate change activists have praised Energy Star for nudging consumers to adopt new, energy-efficient technologies such as LED lighting, which has gradually displaced traditional incandescent lighting. Biden formally banned incandescent bulbs, favored by many for their warm glow, in 2023.
In a stark contrast from his predecessor, Trump has prioritized deregulation and consumer choice.
"The Energy Star program and all the other climate work, outside of what’s required by statute, is being de-prioritized and eliminated,” Paul Gunning, the director of the E.P.A. Office of Atmospheric Protection, told employees in a recording that leaked to the New York Times.
President Trump is known for his dislike of appliances that use less power, such as low-flow shower heads. Trump signed an executive order last month to roll back Biden-era regulations on water pressure.
“It’s not just showers — the Biden administration aggressively targeted everyday appliances like gas stoves, water heaters, washing machines, furnaces, dishwashers, and more, waging war on the reliable tools Americans depend on daily,” Trump said in the memorandum.
