--- title: "You’ll Start Spiralling When You Learn What the Trump Administration Just Did" description: "Donald Trump's administration is so committed to deregulation that it is ending program that has saved Americans half a trillion dollars." date: "2025-05-08" modified: "2025-05-08" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/trump-energy-star" categories: - "Energy" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "donald trump" - "Energy Efficiency" - "EPA" - "the digest" --- # You’ll Start Spiralling When You Learn What the Trump Administration Just Did ![Donald Trump's administration is so committed to deregulation that it is ending program that has saved Americans half a trillion dollars.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Bye Bye, Savings The Trump administration is so committed to environmental deregulation that it's ending a program that has saved Americans more than half a trillion dollars. According to officials briefed on the matter who [spoke to the *Washington Post*](), the Environmental Protection Agency — or [what's left of it](), anyway — is slated to end the Energy Star program, which has certified electric efficiency on appliances across the country and resulted in [more than $500 billion]() in utility bill savings since 1992. The Energy Star closure was announced during an all-hands meeting of the EPA's Office of Atmospheric Protection, which also learned at the same time that it would be dissolved. In a [statement to *CNN*](), an agency spokesperson did not lay out a timeline for the closure or say when Americans could expect to stop seeing Energy Star certification stickers on appliances. While the EPA itself has been tight-lipped about the changes, Republican senator Susan Collins of Maine said she was "baffled" by the move to close the program. "I know that my constituents like knowing what the energy usage is of a particular appliance," she told *CNN*, "so that they can factor that into their buying decisions." ## Energy Crowbar As *WaPo* notes, widespread adoption of Energy Star-certified appliances has prevented an estimated four billion metric tons of greenhouse gases from leaking into our atmosphere, the equivalent of taking nearly 950 million cars off the roads for a year. That focus on energy efficiency could well be why Trump, a longtime Energy Star hater who [floated closing the program]() during his first presidency, wants to kibosh it now. Trump has also long opposed appliance efficiency standards because, according to him, they don't provide enough water to wash his "[perfect]()" and "[beautiful]()" hair. Last month, he signed an executive order lifting restrictions on "[weak and worthless]()" showerheads to that end. Now that Energy Star's future is unknown, the public is left wondering — if this administration will kill even [George HW. Bush-era]() conservation programs, how much further will it go? **More on Trump's energy haterade:** [*Trump Just Set a Tariff on Solar Panels So High That Your Eyebrows May Raise Involuntarily*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()