WASHINGTON — The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency.
Some manufacturers could therefore be putting the stickers on unqualified products, according to the audit, by the Energy Department’s inspector general, Gregory H. Friedman.
The Energy Star program, jointly managed by the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, has benefited from a renewed emphasis by the Obama administration as a mechanism for reducing the waste of energy and curbing resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Under the federal stimulus bill, $300 million will go to rebates for consumers who buy Energy Star products.
Teams from the Energy Department and the EPA oversee different categories of products. Last December, the environmental agency’s inspector general said the Energy Star ratings for products it oversees were “not accurate or verifiable” because of weak oversight by the agency.
The new audit, a copy of which was obtained by the New York Times, indicates that the Energy Department has also fallen far short. The department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
