The bipartisan spending bill currently moving through the U.S. Congress would fully fund the Energy Star program for the current fiscal year. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Jan. 8 and is expected to receive Senate approval in the coming days, before heading to the president’s desk. The funding is a win for Energy Star, keeping the program alive after the administration proposed to eliminate it last year.
The negotiated bill includes $33 million for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the Energy Star program. That represents a compromise between the House and Senate proposals from last summer and a modest increase over the $32 million provided in fiscal year 2024.
Once signed into law, it will also be the first time that Congress has stipulated a mandatory annual spending level for Energy Star, placing a legal requirement on the administration to fund the program for fiscal year 2026, which runs through Sept. 30. Energy Star funding levels have historically been left up to the discretion of the administration, with program funding decreasing steadily over the past 10 years.
