Efforts to save the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program are having a positive effect on lawmakers who are considering ending the popular initiative due to budget costs.
According to a website article on The Grist, a coalition of environmental groups and various industry groups who normally would not align in such matters are throwing their weight behind the program. Energy Star has helped save residential and commercial and institutional customers more than $40 billion annually in energy costs since Energy Star was founded in 1992.
The Grist reported that organizations that traditionally challenge EPA regulations, such as the American Chemistry Council and the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, are showing their support for Energy Star, which identifies energy-efficient products and practices.
Another important aspect of the popular program, Portfolio Manager, helps facility managers monitor their facilities’ energy use.
Signs that the program might survive the initially proposed budget cuts have started emerging, however. Both the House and Senate appropriations committees approved more than $30 million in funding for the program with final approval months away.
Vigorous letter writing campaigns, such as one launched by the U.S. Green Building Council, appear to be influencing lawmakers on both sides of the political fence.
One supporter told The Grist that the Energy Star program is “one of those prime examples where government gets it right.”
“We should be looking for more opportunities to create programs like this that deliver a significant return on taxpayer dollars, not doing less of it,” Justin Koscher, president of the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association, told the website.
Dave Lubach is executive editor of the facilities market.
