President Donald Trump favors fossil fuels. Don’t believe me? The Department of Energy announced on June 1 that it made changes to its energy rebate programs. The changes include prohibiting households from using rebates to replace fossil fuel-powered appliances. Only electric-to-electric appliance changes will qualify for rebates.
“The Trump administration couldn’t eliminate the popular Home Energy Rebates program outright, so instead they’re changing the rules mid-game in order to hand a win to the oil and gas industry. These changes will trap families into higher energy bills and force them to live with polluting equipment.” Srinidhi Sampath Kumar, Director, Clean Heat campaign, Sierra Club
Gifts for the Natural Gas Industry
Not only are there changes to the energy rebate programs, but the programs will also receive new names. For example, the Home Efficiency Rebate will be the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) program. This change removes the word’ efficiency,’ signaling a shift away from focusing on renewable energy.
Under the guise of “expanding consumer choice,” the HOMES program will make the Energy Star requirement “optional.” According to the federal government’s own website, the Energy Star program has saved five trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoided over $500 billion in energy costs, and achieved reductions of four billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2020, the program reduced emissions equivalent to more than five percent of the U.S. total emissions. That same year, the energy savings reduced sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter, and provided an estimated $7 to $17 billion in public health benefits.
The Benefits of Energy Star
The Energy Star program brings financial benefits. The estimated annual market value of Energy Star product sales is over $100 billion. For every dollar the Environmental Protection Agency has spent on Energy Star, $230 has been invested by American businesses and households in energy efficiency. Americans have saved over $500 billion in energy costs since 1992 with the Energy Star program.
The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program is also being renamed as the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebates program. The removal of the word ‘electrification’ in the new name suggests the Trump administration’s preference for natural gas. Furthermore, the DOE would no longer allow rebates for replacing non-electric appliances.
“The Department of Energy’s changes to the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program restrict consumer choice by prohibiting rebates to consumers who make the switch from fossil fuel appliances to electric appliances. This move directly conflicts with the federal statute establishing the Program and undermines the transition to clean, electric home appliances that can save consumers money.” Anne Clement, Earthjustice, Senior Legislative Representative
The changes to both programs favor natural gas, which will boost the industry. The oil and gas industry gave considerable campaign contributions to Trump for the 2024 presidential election. The oil and gas industry gave him $25,845,436 in 2024. To the highest bidder go the spoils, as the old saying goes.
