The Future of Energy Star

Earlier this year, the Administration aimed to shut down the EPA’s Energy Star program, but where do things stand now?

The Energy Star program was established by law, so it can only be discontinued by an Act of Congress. BOMA International, along with the real estate sector, appliance manufacturers and efficiency advocates, launched an educational campaign to Congress and the Administration with this message.

BOMA International sent a letter to the committees overseeing the program’s authorization and funding, emphasizing the vital importance of the portfolio manager program to the industry and the nation. We also signed coalition letters and made personal visits to Capitol Hill to ensure our message is received. BOMA President & COO Mary Lue Peck and BOMA Vice President of Advocacy and Codes John Boling met with Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds the EPA, to deliver our message directly in support of the program.  

On July 22, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Interior & Environment spending bill that includes funding for the EPA. The Energy Star program receives approximately $32 million from the EPA through programmatic funding, meaning it is not a line-item expense.

During the House markup, the Subcommittee chair, Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), introduced an amendment that was approved by voice vote to include the following language in the committee report that accompanies the legislative text:

• On page 59 of the report, before the paragraph titled “Compliance,” insert the following new paragraph:
  • Clean Air—Within the funds provided, at least $32,000,000 is for the Energy Star program as described in Section 131 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15941).

Two days later, the Senate passed its version of the bill, which included $36 million for the program and instructed the EPA to share its plans within 30 days of the bill being signed into law.

Chairman Simpson, who authored the amendment, will manage the bill when it goes before the full House of Representatives in September, and again when the House bill is merged with the Senate’s version, which gives us confidence that the program will receive funding next year. However, Congress is likely going to have to navigate a shutdown of an unknown length as the parties negotiate over priorities. 

When the government reopens, we expect it will negotiate a final spending agreement that includes funding for Energy Star. If Congress fails to pass the spending bills and instead relies on a full-year continuing resolution (CR), the program will be funded at the same level as the previous year. Since Energy Star received approximately $32 million last year, it would receive the same again. However, because the program does not have a specific line item in the budget and is instead funded from a larger account, it could still be at risk.     

To help protect Energy Star and ensure it remains operating in 2026, please write to your Representatives and Senators to let them know of the importance of the program:  https://boma.quorum.us/campaign/supportENERGYSTARPortfolioManager/. Every letter written helps reinforce the message to Congress that the Energy Star portfolio manager program is important to commercial real estate and the nation.