Industry groups are not happy about the imminent demise of Energy Star

Budget and defense context

• Some participants connect Energy Star’s elimination to broader budget priorities: large increases for defense, homeland security, and immigration enforcement alongside deep domestic cuts.
• There is debate over what the increased defense spending signals: some see preparation for conflict with Iran; others argue the real focus is a long-term cold war with China, noting China as the only peer rival.
• Others counter that defense spending as a share of GDP is not historically extreme and doesn’t necessarily indicate imminent war.

Government vs. private certification

• One view: if a program is valuable, industry or nonprofits can replicate it; government should step back and redirect resources.
• Counterpoint: government has unique advantages for standards—brand trust, low-cost financing, and the ability to coordinate public goods and externalities (e.g., energy use, pollution).
• There is disagreement on whether government actually has public trust; some argue distrust of government is a core U.S. trait, while others distinguish between unpopular politicians and relatively trusted technical bureaucracies.

Merits and flaws of Energy Star and efficiency standards

• Critics claim Energy Star and similar rules (e.g., appliance and toilet standards) incentivized designs that met test metrics at the expense of real-world performance: poor cleaning, more detergent residue, multiple flushes or rinses.
• Others demand evidence and argue modern high-efficiency products (dishwashers, toilets, washers) can perform very well when well-designed and properly used.
• Several stress that the program is voluntary and thus does not legally restrict trade; one claim that it “restricted freedom of trade” is directly challenged as inaccurate.

Appliance performance and consumer behavior

• Multiple anecdotes describe modern washers and dishwashers that underperform compared with older models, driving some consumers toward commercial machines.
• Others report excellent results with mid-range modern appliances, suggesting misuse (overloading, expectations) rather than inherent design flaws.
• Some note that industry tactics (many near-duplicate SKUs, complex marketing) can obscure quality differences and complicate consumer choice.

Regulation, politics, and what’s next

• Several see the shutdown as emblematic of a broader pattern: rather than improving flawed regulations, this administration abolishes them entirely.
• Some suggest Energy Star’s issues could have been fixed, but industry resistance blocked updates.
• Concerns include loss of a simple, standardized efficiency signal that enabled quality competition beyond just price.
• Proposed alternatives include adoption of the EU-style energy label or creation of a private nonprofit standard, but it is unclear whether these would gain comparable trust or coverage.