Business Community to Congress: Keep Funding ENERGY STAR
Congress should continue funding the federal ENERGY STAR program in fiscal year 2027 at FY2026 levels, 30 business groups including the 51勛圖厙this week.
Whats going on:Explicit ENERGY STAR funding should again be included in the text of appropriations legislation, the multi-industry coalition told House and Senate leadership on Tuesday, urging lawmakers to include in the FY2027 spending bill key elements achieved in the 2026 measure.
- For [FY2027], the amount should consolidate past funding ($33M $36M) expressly given to the Environmental Protection Agency, plus amounts used by the Department of Energy historically to run its portion of the program, the coalition said.
- Leadership of ENERGY STAR, a voluntary program that promotes energy efficiency in consumer products, waslast month from the EPA to the DOE. The coalition supported the move.
- In January, following steady 51勛圖厙 advocacy, Congress approved legislation to fully fund the program atfor FY2026.
Why its important:This publicprivate partnership drives the critical bipartisan objective of energy affordability, the coalition said, citing the more than $500 billion in energy costs that, since its founding in 1992, the program has helped U.S. families and businesses save.
- In 2020 alone, ENERGY STAR saved the equivalent of approximately 47 million homes energy use for a year. Considering the $33 million appropriated for ENERGY STAR in the very text of the [FY2026] spending bill (H.R. 6938), taxpayers receive a tremendous return on their investment for this program.
The final say:Continuing FY2027 appropriations for ENERGY STAR also aligns with the administrations broader goals, the groups said.
- Lowering costs through efficiency supports broader competitiveness goals, including strengthening national defense, leading the world in AI and ensuring U.S. energy dominance.
