ENERGY STAR Program

Updated April 23, 2026

ENERGY STAR Program

Overview

Table 1. Selected Actions Related to ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is an internationally recognized

voluntary labeling program for energy-efficient products,

homes, buildings, and manufacturing plants that is managed

jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The intended

purposes of the program are to reduce energy consumption,

realize cost savings for consumers on their utility bills, and

reduce emissions of pollutants—including greenhouse

gases (GHGs)—from electric power production, thereby

limiting associated health and environmental impacts

through nonregulatory means. According to EPA’s most

recent ENERGY STAR annual report, program participants

conserved 520 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, saved

$42 billion on annual utility bills, and avoided 400 million

metric tons of GHG emissions in 2020. On March 3, 2026,

EPA and DOE entered into a memorandum of agreement

(MOA) to transition primary management of ENERGY

STAR from EPA to DOE. Congressional interest in

ENERGY STAR may include program funding and

administration, the consideration or revision of

specifications for selected product or building categories,

use of the ENERGY STAR label in federal procurement

preferences, and whether to continue, cancel, or amend the

program or incentives for selected products or buildings

with the ENERGY STAR label.

History and Development

EPA established ENERGY STAR in 1992 under the

authority of the Clean Air Act, Section 103(g). In 1996,

DOE’s role with ENERGY STAR was established through

a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) with EPA. Congress

codified the program and this relationship in the Energy

Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58, §131). A 2009

memorandum of understanding (MOU) between EPA and

DOE identified EPA as the lead agency for ENERGY

STAR and DOE as the lead agency for the National

Building Rating program. Generally, EPA set performance

levels for ENERGY STAR products and buildings, and

DOE provided technical support such as the development of

testing procedures and performance metrics.

The ENERGY STAR program portfolio has expanded over

time. EPA introduced the ENERGY STAR label for

computers and monitors in 1992. Since that time, EPA has

expanded the number of product categories to more than 70.

In 1995, EPA expanded ENERGY STAR to include

labeling for buildings and new homes. The program added

manufacturing facilities in 2006 and manufactured homes

in 2007. In 2020, ENERGY STAR launched Tenant Space

to recognize energy efficiency in leased office spaces. Due

to historical efficiency gains for lighting, EPA has sunset

specifications for lamps and luminaires (with exceptions for

recessed downlights) effective December 31, 2024.

Selected actions of note in ENERGY STAR history are

highlighted in Table 1.

Year

Action

1992

EPA establishes ENERGY STAR under the

authority of the Clean Air Act, Section 103(g)

(P.L. 101-549)

1995

United States and Japan establish first international

agreement for ENERGY STAR regarding qualified

office products (e.g., computers and monitors)

1996

EPA and DOE issue MOC on Energy Efficient,

Environmentally Beneficial Buildings

2001

United States and Canada agree to partner on

ENERGY STAR

2001

United States and European Union (EU) agree to

partner on ENERGY STAR

2005

Energy Policy Act, Section 131 (P.L. 109-58)

formally codifies the ENERGY STAR program

within EPA and DOE

2006

United States and EU enter into agreement on the

Coordination of Energy-Efficient Labelling

Programs for Office Equipment

2009

EPA and DOE issue MOU on Improving the

Energy Efficiency of Products and Buildings

2010

GAO publishes GAO-10-470, Energy Star

Program: Covert Testing Shows the Energy Star

Program Certification Process Is Vulnerable to

Fraud and Abuse

2011

GAO publishes GAO-11-888, Energy Star:

Providing Opportunities for Additional Review of

EPA’s Decisions Could Strengthen the Program

2013

Update of U.S.-EU ENERGY STAR agreement

2015

Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015,

Section 104 (P.L. 114-11), directs EPA and DOE

to establish a program to promote energy

efficiency in spaces leased by tenants

2018

U.S.-EU ENERGY STAR agreement expires on

February 20, 2018

2020

EPA launches ENERGY STAR Tenant Space

2023

EPA launches ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified

Homes and Apartments certification

2024

EPA sunsets the ENERGY STAR specifications for

lamps and luminaires

2026

EPA and DOE issue MOA to document change in

leadership from EPA to DOE for ENERGY STAR

Sources: P.L. 101-549; P.L. 109-58; P.L. 114-11; EPA 2012, ENERGY

STAR: Celebrating 20 Years; GAO-10-470; GAO-11-888; MOU (2009);

MOC (1996); Agreements between United States and EU.

Notes: GAO = Government Accountability Office; MOC =

memorandum of cooperation; MOU = memorandum of

understanding; MOA = memorandum of agreement.

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ENERGY STAR Program

Program Design

International Partnerships

ENERGY STAR supports voluntary partnerships with

manufacturers, retailers, and organizations committed to

improving energy efficiency. Partners are provided with

access to seminars and networking events, recognition for

achievement, and marketing materials.

ENERGY STAR is recognized as an international standard

for energy-efficient products. EPA has entered into

agreements with foreign governments to promote specific

ENERGY STAR product categories in their markets.

Canada, Japan, and Switzerland currently administer the

ENERGY STAR program for selected categories.

International programs coordinate with ENERGY STAR on

the labeling of office equipment and the creation of

consistent targets for manufacturers. Natural Resources

Canada administers the ENERGY STAR program directly

through an agreement with EPA and DOE. EPA has had

other international agreements, including with the European

Union, the European Free Trade Association, Taiwan, New

Zealand, and Australia. Countries without current

agreements may not use the ENERGY STAR mark on

products, packaging, or websites unless it is for promoting

an ENERGY STAR model for the U.S. or Canadian market.

ENERGY STAR establishes voluntary certification

requirements for products, buildings, and industrial

facilities. Specifications are based upon energy efficiency,

energy savings, product features, and performance as

demanded by consumers. If the cost of certified products is

more than the cost of conventional products, purchasers of

certified products are expected to recoup their investment

through utility bill savings within a reasonable period of

time. Product energy consumption must also be measurable

and verifiable with testing. For many product categories,

once the market share of ENERGY STAR products reaches

50% or greater, the product specifications are typically

reviewed. For longer-lived products such as home

appliances, the 2009 MOU states that specifications may be

reviewed every three years or once the market share reaches

about 35%.

The ENERGY STAR label (Figure 1) is affixed to

products, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and new

homes that use less energy but perform at least as well as

standard models. Through labeling, ENERGY STAR helps

consumers quickly identify energy-efficient products.

Figure 1. ENERGY STAR Promotional Mark

Federal Appropriations

Between FY2007 and FY2011, combined appropriations

for ENERGY STAR for EPA and DOE averaged $58

million annually in nominal dollars (with EPA receiving

about 87%). More recently, ENERGY STAR funding has

decreased in both inflation-adjusted and nominal dollars

(Table 2). P.L. 119-4 provided FY2025 appropriations at

FY2024 funding levels for most EPA and DOE accounts

without further policy direction. For FY2026

appropriations, P.L. 119-74 did not contain policy direction

for DOE and provided for EPA that “not less than

$33,024,000 is to carry out the Energy Star Program

pursuant to section 324(c) of the Energy Policy and

Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6294a(c)).” H.Rept. 119-215

recommended $32 million in total funding. S.Rept. 119-46

recommended $36 million in total funding.

Table 2. ENERGY STAR Program Funding

Fiscal years 2015 through 2024, in millions of nominal dollars

Sources: EPA, ENERGY STAR program.

Third-Party Certification

Since 2011, ENERGY STAR has required products to be

third-party-certified and qualification-tested in an EPArecognized laboratory. The certification laboratories are

required to conduct annual verification testing.

A percentage of certified models in a product category are

tested each year. At least half of the models that undergo

testing are to be randomly selected. The remainder may be

selected according to other factors, including prior testing

failures; high sales volumes; referrals from EPA or other

parties, such as consumer groups; or requests to verify the

performance of a competitor’s product. The verification

testing program is manufacturer-funded.

DOE implements an agency-funded, complementary testing

program that does not test randomly. Instead, DOE targets

products for testing, for example, if they have a history of

failing to meet ENERGY STAR program requirements, if

they use new technologies, or if they belong to a category

with known performance issues. The 2026 MOA does not

discuss how certification testing might change under DOE.

Fiscal Year

EPA Funding

DOE Funding

2015

$44.2

$4.3

2016

$43.2

$2.9

2017

$42.1

$1.4

2018

$42.1

$3.0

2019

$38.4

$2.1

2020

$36.7

$1.4

2021

$34.8

$0.9

2022

$33.9

$2.2

2023

$33.0

$2.2

2024

$32.1

$3.6

Sources: EPA communication to CRS; DOE communication to CRS.

Notes: Values are rounded to the nearest tenth. Funding levels for

ENERGY STAR reflect EPA and DOE regular annual appropriations.

Corrie E. Clark, Specialist in Energy Policy

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ENERGY STAR Program

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