Cuts to Energy Star program passed by House Appropriations Committee seen crippling, Alliance to Save Energy says

The Alliance to Save Energy recently expressed concern over an approximately 40 percent cut to funding for the Energy Star program that was included as part of the fiscal year 2018 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill that was approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week.

“We appreciate that the committee has rejected the administration’s proposal to eliminate Energy Star, but a 40 percent cut would be crippling as well,” said Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) President Kateri Callahan.

“Energy Star is one of the most popular government programs in U.S. history and has enjoyed broad bipartisan support since it was created under President George H.W. Bush,” she said.

Nearly half of Americans have an Energy Star-rated appliance in their home and 16,000 companies have voluntarily signed up to participate in the program, which was created in 1992.

In 2015, the program delivered $34 billion in savings to American households and businesses, ASE said. Americans have saved $4.50 in lower utility bills for every $1 invested in energy efficiency through Energy Star products.

“That is a model of success, and we should build on that success with full funding,” Callahan said.

The fiscal year 2018 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill includes funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Service and various independent and related agencies. The bill would provide $31.4 billion in funding for fiscal year 2018, $824 million below the fiscal year 2017 level, but $4.3 billion above President Trump’s requested budget.