Washington, D.C., June 22, 2006 – In testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies today, Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan called for an increase in funding for the EPA Energy Star Program. She urged the Appropriations Subcommittee to increase Energy Star funding from $50 million (the FY 2009 funding level) to $100 million to enable the program to deliver even more impressive energy savings to American consumers and businesses.

In her testimony, Callahan characterized the Energy Star Program as one of the most successful voluntary partnership programs ever undertaken by the U.S. government. She told the Subcommittee that putting more money into Energy Star is a proven way to pump money quickly into the economy, as every federal dollar invested in Energy Star results in $75 in avoided energy costs. Callahan told the Subcommittee that “there is a vast, untapped potential for energy savings that Energy Star can address; this program is the brightest light in the galaxy of voluntary, partnership programs carried out by the federal government.”

Callahan cited statistics from 2007 demonstrating that the Energy Star Program saves $16 billion in energy bills annually and reduces emissions equivalent to taking 27 million cars off the road. Last year, she testified, consumers purchased $500 million of Energy Star labeled products. An expansion of Energy Star, Callahan told the Subcommittee, will enable more products to be brought into the program and substantial increase the program’s delivery of energy savings.