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Energy Star Program For Homes And Appliances Is On Trump's Chopping Block (npr.org)

Posted by msmash on from the sad-state-of-affairs dept.

Appliance manufacturers and home builders are in Washington, D.C., today to celebrate a popular energy efficiency program, even as it's slated for elimination in President Trump's proposed budget. NPR adds: You probably know the program's little blue label with the star -- the Environmental Protection Agency says 90 percent of U.S. households do. [...] The 25-year-old Energy Star program appears to be targeted simply because it's run by the federal government. It's one of 50 EPA programs that would be axed under Trump's budget plan, which would shrink the agency's funding by more than 30 percent. Critics of Energy Star say the government should get involved in the marketplace only when absolutely necessary. But that argument doesn't hold sway for the program's legions of supporters, which span nonprofits, companies and trade groups.

6 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. It's pretty simple by Baron_Yam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The higher the organizational level at which a standard is set, the fewer groups have to come up with standards, and the easier compliance becomes. Done at least somewhat close to well, it is more efficient for the standard setters, the companies who follow the standard, and the consumers who judge by it.

    Now, Energy Star isn't a safety standard, so it's not exactly critical, but it's still a great thing to have a common measuring stick for all to use.

    1. Re:It's pretty simple by DickBreath · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This common measuring stick you speak of would enable consumers to make an objective comparison of products' energy use. Fair comparisons tend to put one product, the inferior product, at a disadvantage. This affects profits and jobs. And people will say OMG! the government is involved in the market so it must be bad.

      Both Hershey Chocolate and Prestone Antifreeze are very sweet to the taste. But the safety of each should be subjectively measured in a way that doesn't put either product at a disadvantage when marketed as a snack treat.

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    2. Re:It's pretty simple by tripleevenfall · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The reason this story makes me yawn is that it's written as though the whole program is on the "chopping block", but in reality it's facing some proposed budget cuts.

      And we all know, there is no waste or bloat in government at all, and therefore no possible place where any sort of waste could be cut.

    3. Re:It's pretty simple by Tailhook · · Score: 3, Insightful

      common measuring stick

      Here is your valuable program certifying a gasoline powered alarm clock as compliant.

      It's a pencil whipping operation. Nothing of value is being lost here. The 'ceritification' is just a bit of red tape everyone has to go through to sell to certain customers, leech federal grants and other stuff. The red tape employs a bunch of lawyers and adds another hurdle for anyone that might try to compete with GE et al. This is precisely the crap that Trump was elected to kill.

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  2. Conflict of Interest by realnrh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is of course a mere coincidence that this highly successful and entirely voluntary program, which has saved US consumers billions of dollars over its existence, far more than the actual program cost or cost to manufacturers, was also responsible for rating several of Don The Con's properties as being in the bottom 10% of all rated structures from an energy efficiency standpoint, just because those structures happened to be highly inefficient with their energy usage. That got the program on his Enemies List. http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/25/...

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  3. Update: Testing EnergyStar by GAO resulted in: by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 5, Insightful

    GAO submitted a few non-existant products to test the EnergyStar program. Some notable results:

    Gas-Powered Alarm Clock:
    Product description indicated the clock is the size of a small generator and is powered by gasoline.

    Product was approved by Energy Star without a review of the company Web site or questions of the claimed efficiencies.

    Geothermal Heat Pump:
    Energy use data reported was more efficient than any product listed as certified on the Energy Star Web site at the time of submission.

    High-energy efficiency data was not questioned by Energy Star.

    Product is eligible for federal tax credits and state rebate programs.

    Computer Monitor

    Product was approved by Energy Star within 30 minutes of submission.

    Private firms contacted GAO’s fictitious firm to purchase products based on participation in the Energy Star program.

    Refrigerator:

    Self-certified product was submitted, qualified, and listed on the Energy Star Web site within 24 hours.

    Product is eligible for federal tax credits and state rebates.