The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will take the lead on Energy Star under a yearlong transition that includes transferring the familiar blue trademark, more than 15,000 partner relationships and an extensive collection of federal information systems and building-performance data.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOE finalized the transition plan Aug. 28, nearly six months after signing an agreement that designated DOE as the program’s lead federal agency. The agencies intend to complete the transition by Aug. 28, 2027, with the transfer of Energy Star’s information technology systems targeted for completion before July 2027.
The agencies described the move as a consolidation of Energy Star leadership and administration at DOE but did not provide a more detailed reason for the change. Both say they are seeking to maintain services during the transition for manufacturers, retailers, utilities, homebuilders, building owners and other organizations that use Energy Star specifications and tools.
Energy Star is a voluntary federal program that identifies products, homes, commercial buildings and industrial plants meeting energy-efficiency standards. Qualifying products and properties can display the familiar blue label, while building owners and managers can use its Portfolio Manager system to track energy consumption and compare a property’s performance with similar buildings.
The plan says 1,500 manufacturers, 1,200 retailers and 840 utilities participate in private markets worth about $100 billion that depend on Energy Star. It credits the program with producing savings equivalent to 13 percent of annual U.S. electricity use.
DOE also will inherit a significant backlog of technical work. The transition plan says the EPA has not been engaged in updating Energy Star specifications since early 2025. DOE will receive documentation on current and unfinished specifications, known problems that need to be addressed and evaluations of products that might be removed from the program.
Products, homes and buildings have continued to receive certifications, and the program’s tools and databases remain available. However, Energy Star specifications are intended to be revised as technology improves and more products meet existing efficiency thresholds. Outdated requirements can make it more difficult for the label to distinguish the most efficient products in the market.
The transition is organized around three areas: transferring institutional knowledge and program leadership to DOE, legally transferring the trademark and certain agreements and moving the program’s data and technology infrastructure.
EPA staff will train their DOE counterparts and turn over contracts, operating procedures, technical records, certification processes and information about current and proposed specifications. DOE, meanwhile, will recruit employees to perform the program’s essential functions.
DOE will lead program updates and assume responsibility for certification, reporting, partnerships, training, outreach and trademark enforcement. The legal transfer covers the Energy Star trademarks, a small number of EPA-only partnership agreements and agreements with Canada, Switzerland and Japan.
Moving the technology may be the most complicated part. The agencies must resolve privacy, software ownership, records retention and cybersecurity issues as Energy Star’s systems and data shift to DOE.
Systems slated to move include Energy Star’s website, Portfolio Manager, Product Finder, the Qualified Product Exchange, the Incentive Management Platform, partner databases, the program’s help desk and a business-intelligence data warehouse. DOE must establish a secure computing environment and receive federal authorization to operate the systems.
Before the migration is complete, EPA will give DOE access to the systems so the department can begin administering the program. The agencies will coordinate on funding and contractor oversight while the infrastructure remains hosted by EPA.
Funding remains one of the principal concerns among organizations that rely on Energy Star. Congress provided approximately $33 million for the program in fiscal 2026 through EPA. The transition plan says EPA will estimate how much remains and transfer unspent funds to DOE through an interagency agreement or other reimbursable authority.
DOE will assume financial responsibility for continued operation of Energy Star after EPA’s responsibility ends. The plan cautions that the program’s long-term success depends on adequate funding and says additional agreements may be needed if Congress continues appropriating Energy Star funding through EPA rather than DOE.
Industry and building organizations have generally supported preserving Energy Star while calling for a stable transition.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents companies producing equipment such as commercial heating and cooling systems, lighting, electrical controls and energy-management technology. Its members depend on consistent specifications and certification processes for products sold with the Energy Star label.
NEMA has said DOE’s experience with appliance-efficiency standards and public-private energy programs makes it well positioned to manage Energy Star. The association nevertheless wants Congress to ensure that funding can move between the agencies without interruption. It also has questioned whether DOE can duplicate the extensive outreach network EPA developed through its regional offices.
The Green Building Initiative has similarly emphasized continued funding and reliable operation of Energy Star’s building tools. The organization administers Green Globes and other building-performance certification programs. Building owners and managers use Portfolio Manager to measure energy consumption and compare performance with similar properties.
The U.S. Green Building Council, which administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building certification system, has taken a more cautious position. It has called for transparency, public engagement and protection of the institutional knowledge EPA accumulated while leading the program.
Energy Star was not initially divided between the two federal agencies. EPA launched the program in 1992 with energy-efficiency labeling for computers and monitors. DOE joined in 1996 and assumed responsibility for selected product categories while contributing expertise in appliances, lighting and testing. Congress formally established Energy Star as a joint EPA-DOE program in 2005, but EPA remained the lead agency until the 2026 agreement shifted that role to DOE.
Photo by Curtis Adams from Pexels
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