Once on the Trump administration’s chopping block, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program lives on after Congress recently approved $33 million to fund the program for fiscal year 2026.
The bill, H.R. 6938, was signed into law on Jan. 23, following bipartisan approval from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), a strong advocate for the ENERGY STAR program, has applauded the decision.
Created in 1992, the ENERGY STAR program is a voluntary, government–backed initiative to help individuals and organizations identify and adopt energy-efficient products and buildings. Best known for its familiar blue label, the program sets performance-based standards that highlight equipment and facilities that use less energy.
Since its establishment, the program has helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs, and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, according to the ENERGY STAR website.
Green building advocates and policymakers had pushed back when the Trump administration first announced the program was up for elimination. In late 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin indicated the administration reconsidered keeping it.
With funding secured for fiscal year 2026, the program survives for now, but its long-term fate remains uncertain. Nonetheless, IFMA considers the recent reauthorization a big win for facilities managers.
“IFMA has long supported pragmatic, bipartisan programs like ENERGY STAR that have a substantial and measurable impact on building operations, maintenance, and performance,” said IFMA President and CEO Michael V. Geary. “Across four decades, ENERGY STAR has been a proven and reliable tool for facility managers, providing consistent data on energy consumption to improve efficiency, productivity, and operations for organizations and their building portfolios.”
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