A proposed U.S. Senate Bill proposes to eliminate mandatory third-party certification for Energy Star registration of products. The proposed bipartisan “Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015” is intended to modernize a broad range of energy infrastructure requirements. The change to the Energy Star registration is included in section 1104 of the Bill.

Mandatory third-party certification for Energy Star was implemented several years ago when a broad range of Energy Star registered products were found to be non-conforming.  In several publicized cases, the product manufacturer claimed that they misunderstand the requirements, which, in turn, led to non-conforming products and a loss of credibility of the Energy Star program.  To rectify this issue, third-party certification relying on standardized testing by an accredited test lab was mandated.

The bill has bipartisan support within the Senate, but this particular provision has opposition from the President’s office and testing laboratories. It’s too early to provide an educated guess at the eventual outcome.