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Most Americans recognize the blue Energy Star logo on the most energy-efficient appliances. The Trump administration wants to eliminate or privatize it. NPR's Jeff Brady reports on its future.
JEFF BRADY, BYLINE: The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the Energy Star program has saved Americans over $500 billion in energy costs since 1992. That's why supporters, like Jeremy Symons of the Environmental Protection Network - a group of former EPA employees - are defending Energy Star against plans to privatize or eliminate it.
JEREMY SYMONS: It's like sticking a vacuum into the wallets of American families and businesses and sucking cash out for no reason.
BRADY: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, at a May congressional hearing, questioned his own agency's calculations for the money Energy Star saved.
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LEE ZELDIN: I would happily and eagerly find out from inside of the agency how they had previously calculated that figure, 'cause I anticipate that they're taking credit for a heck of a lot more than they should.
BRADY: NPR asked the EPA if Zeldin has learned more since then. Press secretary Brigit Hirsch said Energy Star's economic benefits remain unclear. But EPA's own staff backed up that half-trillion dollar savings estimate with five pages of technical notes about how the calculations were made.
SAPNA GHEEWALA DOWLA: Energy Star and EPA commonly use conservative, well-established methodologies to calculate the Energy Star savings.
BRADY: Sapna Gheewala Dowla is with the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy. Her group wants more funding for Energy Star, arguing that would save Americans even more money.
GHEEWALA DOWLA: We would love Energy Star to stay at EPA, stay fully funded and stay fully staffed. That is the ideal North Star.
BRADY: Calls for privatizing the program have come mostly from libertarian and conservative groups such as Heritage Foundation and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. But at that May hearing, Administrator Zeldin also appeared set on privatizing Energy Star.
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ZELDIN: This program is an example of one that can be run outside of the government. And I've actually had multiple entities reach out to EPA over the course of the last few weeks because they want to take over Energy Star.
BRADY: Zeldin did not mention who contacted the EPA. And the agency's spokesperson declined an interview request and wrote in an email, we have nothing more to share at this time.
One option for turning Energy Star into a business would be to charge companies to participate. Currently, the government pays those costs. Gheewala Dowla with the Alliance to Save Energy says that's one option.
GHEEWALA DOWLA: Charging for participation would be an interesting and creative solution but could potentially have additional barriers for small manufacturers, for community-based builders, or potentially even public sector organizations that do rely on the program but operate on tight margins.
BRADY: Eliminating or privatizing Energy Star also would be disruptive for many in the real estate industry. Energy Star includes a program called Portfolio Manager that helps building owners track energy and water consumption. That information is then used to comply with local conservation regulations.
Matt Ellis is the CEO of the real estate technology firm Measurabl.
MATT ELLIS: If there were to be any diminution or dismantling of Energy Star, what we can't do is lose the underlying data.
BRADY: Ellis' company and others are offering services that collect and store that information in case Energy Star goes away. Last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved continued funding for Energy Star. Now the rest of Congress will decide the program's fate in coming months.
Jeff Brady, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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