Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently wrote to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin demanding that the Agency's Energy Star program remain active, saying, "With energy prices continuing to be a top concern for American families, programs like Energy Star are more critical than ever."
The Energy Star program is a government-funded initiative that rates appliances, such as refrigerators, air conditioning units, thermostats, washing machines, dryers, and cooking appliances, for their energy efficiency and affordability, as evidenced by the pale blue "Energy Star" logo on some of these products you may have in your own home.
"I am gravely concerned by the Environmental Protection Agency's reported plans to shutter the Energy Star program after more than 30 years of delivering consumer savings and advancing energy conservation," Sen. Gallego said to Zeldin in his letter, adding, "This misguided decision would be counterproductive to our national housing, economic, and electricity goals. At a time when American families are grappling with rising energy and housing costs and our nation faces mounting energy and climate challenges, eliminating a highly successful program that lowers utility bills and reduces emissions is indefensible."
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Sen. Gallego highlighted how the Energy Star program encourages innovation in appliances by setting higher standards for efficiency, which saves Americans an average of $450 annually on their energy bills.
The Arizona Senator pointed to Arizona as a prime example of the success of the Energy Star program, with 270 businesses and manufacturers participating, serving 3.2 million customers.
"In Arizona alone, 45 percent of the housing and rental market is Energy Star certified," Gallego continued. "To date, more than 345,000 Energy Star-certified homes and apartments have been built across Arizona, offering consumers high-quality housing options that deliver real energy savings and performance benefits."
As a result, he concluded, "Eliminating the Energy Star program would be a shortsighted decision that undermines decades of critical consumer savings and energy conservation."
At the end of May, Gallego and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) spearheaded calls to keep the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) Phoenix office open.
