EPA and DOE Announce 2026 ENERGY STAR Program Transition Plan

On August 28, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published the ENERGY STAR Program Transition Plan, detailing the transfer of leadership over the ENERGY STAR program from EPA to DOE.

The Transition Plan outlines three primary activities:

1. Knowledge transfer on program operations and EPA staff-led training of incumbent and newly hired DOE staff;
2. Legal transfer of the ENERGY STAR trademark and partnership agreements; and
3. Transfer of the ENERGY STAR IT system.

EPA and DOE are targeting July 2027 to complete the IT system transfer. EPA's Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations of $33 million will be used to fund transition activities, while any remaining funds will be sent to DOE to operate the ENERGY STAR Program. Future agreements and operating budgets will depend on future Congressional appropriations for ENERGY STAR.