After a nearly year-long period of uncertainty for Energy Star, the program is headed for a new address—this time with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOE signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA), transferring management of Energy Star from EPA to DOE.
The newly signed memo said DOE will now serve as the lead federal agency of Energy Star going forward, in consultation with other agencies as needed, including the Small Business Administration and EPA. The memo took effect Tuesday, March 3, 2026, and will remain in effect for 10 years.
The move from EPA to DOE was speculated as far back as May 2025, when the future of the Energy Star program was first called into question. A reorganization plan showed Energy Star’s parent division removed from an organizational chart, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told [DWM]. The end of the program would follow termination of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Protection (OAP) and the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, many feared. Trepidation grew stronger, when, in July 2025, EPA officials announced a reduction in force as part of restructuring, going from 16,155 employees to 12,448. Then a turning point arrived, when Congress provided $33 million for the program.
EPA and DOE “intend to initially fund transition activities with their own respective appropriated funds,” the MOA said, adding, “As the transition progresses, EPA may enter into separate agreements to transfer funds to DOE.”
A “2026 Energy Star Program Transition Plan” will detail transfer of partnership agreements and trademark(s), as well as information technology systems and databases, the memo said.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released a statement from Ben Evans, USGBC federal legislative director, supporting continuation of the program.
“USGBC strongly supports Energy Star, which is one of the most successful public-private partnerships in U.S. history and is delivering massive energy cost savings to Americans while sharply reducing energy demand on the grid,” Evans said.
At the same time, Evans questioned the timing of the decision, also expressing concerns about the move.
“While DOE has been a supporting partner with EPA in Energy Star, we have concerns about abruptly moving the entire program to DOE, particularly after Congress demonstrated strong bipartisan support for keeping Energy Star at EPA through full funding in the FY2026 appropriations process,” Evans said. “That bipartisan funding put Energy Star on a path toward more stable, predictable budgets and operations. Moving the program to DOE raises questions about how the program will be funded in the future and whether it will maintain its current scope of operations.”
Disruptions to program operations could have economic consequences, Evans warned, as it’s “embedded in so many sectors of the U.S. economy,” he said.
“Given EPA’s statutory responsibility and strong institutional knowledge in managing the program, a change of this magnitude calls for more transparency, oversight and public engagement,” he added. “Energy Star is an incredibly valuable public asset, and its value relies on continued public trust in the Energy Star brand that can only be maintained with steady investment and leadership.”
The public, as well as partner organizations and Congress, need to know more about how DOE plans to operate and fund the program moving forward, Evans suggested.
Others expect a smooth transition.
“The DOE previously managed Energy Star successfully, so we expect a smooth transition from EPA during this time,” said Janice Yglesias, executive director of the Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA). “FGIA is glad to see the program’s continuation and will continue to monitor its progress. Regardless of which department manages Energy Star, we remain committed to keeping our members informed of their responsibilities in terms of shipment data reporting and any other program needs.”
In many ways, the move to DOE makes sense, officials for the law firm Beveridge & Diamond (B&D) suggested. “DOE’s role as the lead agency is not without justification,” the firm wrote. (B&D’s consumer products industry group works with companies that make, distribute, transport or sell consumer products, helping them identify, understand and comply with complex regulatory requirements.)
“DOE already develops the test procedures on which Energy Star specifications rely and administers mandatory efficiency standards, certification requirements, and enforcement for many of the same categories of products as Energy Star,” B&D officials said.
The move could reflect an effort to consolidate related functions into a single agency, but the timing of the memo, “weeks after Congress ensured continued EPA funding to run the program,” is unusual, they suggested.
In February, the Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) released an update regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reporting requirements for Energy Star Unit Shipment Data for calendar year 2025. While Energy Star Partners typically are required to complete an annual survey by March 1, the 2025 data collection process is currently delayed, officials explained.
For now, those processes may remain boxed, along with other assets bearing the blue star logo, awaiting their move to DOE.