May 13, 2010

ENERGY STAR Gets the Spotlight

With more companies going green, and more consumers relying on environmental certifications in selecting products, the ENERGY STAR product labeling program has gained increasing importance but also realized some growing pains. A recent report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) indicates that the ENERGY STAR product certification process is vulnerable to fraud and abuse. In response to the report, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are collaborating on a number of aggressive enhancements to the ENERGY STAR product labeling program. These enhancements include more direct management of the ENERGY STAR qualification process, revising ENERGY STAR specifications more frequently, imposing significant new verification testing requirements, and a first-ever DOE enforcement initiative on Energy Star and energy efficiency standards. This brought together an EPA representative and other commentators who explained the recent developments and discussed the impacts to energy efficiency, consumers, investors, and the manufacturing bottom line.

Speakers:
Roger Martella, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP, Moderator
Ann Bailey, Director, ENERGY STAR Product Labeling, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Urvashi Rangan, Director, Technical Policy, Consumers Union
Kevin Messner, Vice President, Government Relations, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Downloads:
Kevin Messner PowerPoint
Ann Bailey PowerPoint
An mp3 recording of the seminar is available in the members only section