Energy Star, a program that sets energy-efficiency guidelines for buildings, is at risk of being cut by the Trump administration. Last year, over 8,800 commercial buildings saved $2.2 billion and prevented 5.7 million metric tons of emissions through Energy Star. The EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool is crucial for landlords and governments to track energy usage and comply with regulations.

The EPA announced job cuts and restructuring in May, with reports indicating Energy Star is included. The Portfolio Manager tool, used by over 330,000 buildings, provides data for energy benchmarking and transparency policies in seven states and 48 local governments. Industry organizations are fighting for the program’s existence to prevent potential increased costs for users if privatized.

The potential defunding of the software platform could lead to the loss of crucial energy data for buildings. Leia de Guzman, co-founder of Cambio, a real estate operations platform, warns that without the data from Energy Star, initiatives like retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency would be hindered. The program supports $14 billion in energy cost savings annually.

Industry groups like the NAHB, NAA, and NMHC are advocating for Energy Star’s continued federal backing to prevent a fee-based system if privatized. Nicole Upano from the NAA highlights the massive return on investment provided by the program. If managed externally, there is concern over potential biases towards certain energy systems that could complicate compliance for users.

Read more at CNBC: What the end of Energy Star could mean for commercial real estate