Don’t Count ENERGY STAR Out Just Yet

Recent headlines have cast uncertainty on the future of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® program, but don’t count it out just yet.

ENERGY STAR is a critical program for energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. It’s more than a logo on a refrigerator or a plaque on a school; it’s a data-driven framework that helps organizations reduce their energy bills, validate energy improvements, and operate more efficiently. But while speculation continues around the program’s fate, one thing is clear: ENERGY STAR has plenty of fight left in it.

Facing headwinds, but still standing

In May 2025, the current federal administration announced at an EPA meeting that the ENERGY STAR program would be discontinued, showing a chart marking it for closure. ENERGY STAR’s funding is approved by Congress, including through fiscal year 2025, but the May meeting was followed by an administration-proposed budget allotting $0 for ENERGY STAR next year. Despite these activities, there are several reasons to believe ENERGY STAR will stick around.

1. It’s federally mandated.

Lee Zeldin, the EPA’s current administrator, has repeatedly advocated for privatizing ENERGY STAR insisting that the program would not go away, but instead get handed over to any number of private entities clamoring to take it over.

This has come up against strong objections. While ENERGY STAR began life as an executive-branch program, it was codified by Congress in 2005’s Energy Policy Act and likely requires action by Congress both to privatize the program and revise the tax codes that reference it. Privatizing the program raises concerns about the loss of government-backed neutrality and consumer trust, making it a legal gray area highly likely to spark challenges in court.

2. It has bipartisan support.

In late May 2025 more than 20 senators, both Democrat and Republican, issued a joint letter to Lee urging him to keep the ENERGY STAR program in place due to the substantial energy bill savings it has netted for families and building owners alike, along with the nearly 800,000 American manufacturing jobs the program supports. This letter comes on the heels of one signed by more than 1,000 private companies, including EnergyCAP, earlier this year.

Other lawmakers from both parties have spoken out in support of the program, including pointed questions from Kathy Castor (R-Florida) questioning why ENERGY STAR’s $19 million budget is of concern considering the $500 billion it has saved American consumers and building owners.

3. Congress can choose to act.

This administration proposed similar cuts throughout its first term, with Congress still choosing to fund ENERGY STAR® every fiscal year. Congressional appropriators on both sides have defended the program as successful, cost-saving, and vital, and there is reason to believe this will continue.

But what happens if ENERGY STAR goes away?

As a six-time ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, EnergyCAP is a proud supporter of ENERGY STAR—but we’ve got your back if the landscape shifts. If ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® (ESPM) goes dark, or is transferred to a private entity, your ESPM data stays safe within the EnergyCAP platform. You’ll still have access to all your historical scores, reporting, and submitted data.

Benchmarking can do so much more than comparing you to your peers. Detailed, customized benchmarking is the single fastest and most effective way to identify where—and how—to make cost-saving improvements in your buildings. Whether you’re leveraging built-in comparisons or creating custom metrics tailored to your goals, EnergyCAP’s benchmarking capabilities are here for:

• Custom scoring: Define your own benchmarking criteria—by building or meter type, location, occupancy schedule, or other variables—and compare cost, use, and demand across sites.
• Energy Use Intensity (EUI) comparison: Normalize energy use across buildings of different sizes and uses to evaluate true performance. Benchmark against internal targets or industry standards
• From portfolio-level down to the meter: benchmark at every level to identify top performing facilities and target outliers for deeper analysis and investment.
• Custom reports and visual analytics: Easily spot star buildings and energy hogs with benchmarking charts, maps, and visuals, then create custom reports and dashboards to communicate benchmarking results at every level.

In short: EnergyCAP is your plan A, B, and beyond. ENERGY STAR plays a vital role in helping building owners take the first steps towards better energy efficiency. We believe in its mission, and we’re optimistic about its future.

Whether or not ENERGY STAR remains federally funded and managed, one thing remains unchanged: EnergyCAP has been in business for over 40 years, and we’re not going anywhere. We’re committed to centralizing energy and utility data to capture insights, conserve costs, ensure compliance, and save time—so you can make smarter, data-driven decisions.