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The Trump administration wants to pull the plug on ENERGY STAR, the federal program behind those familiar blue labels on energy-efficient appliances, homes, and buildings. Launched in 1992, ENERGY STAR has saved Americans more than $500 billion in energy costs while slashing greenhouse gas emissions.

To dig into what this means for everyday Americans, we spoke with Rebecca Foster, CEO of clean energy nonprofit Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC), which has spent decades working to make homes, schools, and businesses more energy efficient.

Electrek: What is the ENERGY STAR program, and what are the benefits for consumers?

Rebecca Foster: It’s simple: ENERGY STAR helps customers and businesses save energy and reduce costs. The program does this by clearly labeling which products are energy-efficient options. It’s a certification of confidence – it does not dictate efficiency standards. The program was created in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush and has enjoyed decades of bipartisan support. 

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The brand has become the backbone of energy efficiency across the country. ENERGY STAR is a recognized and reliable mark of efficient appliances and electronics that lower costs and improve indoor air quality. The ENERGY STAR label has also expanded to include efficiency standards for weatherizing homes and certifying when new buildings are constructed to high efficiency standards. Utilities benefit from ENERGY STAR, too – with more efficient appliances and systems plugged in, they are better able to manage the grid and decrease costs for customers.

The main benefit to consumers is significant savings through energy efficiency. A typical home can save around $450 a year on their energy bills by choosing ENERGY STAR-certified products, according to a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimate. Lower-income households spend a greater proportion of their budget on energy, so losing that savings will be felt especially hard by these families. Energy efficiency programs that VEIC administers, including Efficiency Vermont, Efficiency Smart, and the DC Sustainable Energy Utility, have incorporated ENERGY STAR certifications into their rebates and educational materials for decades. The ENERGY STAR certification is an easy way to let people know which products are eligible for rebates and encourage folks to choose the more efficient option by making it more affordable with incentives. Combined, these programs have delivered more than $694 million in customer incentives since 2000, resulting in over $5.6 billion in lifetime customer savings. 

Evaluations of the ENERGY STAR program show it saves US households about $40 billion a year nationwide – and has delivered about $500 billion in savings since it began. All for a program that costs the government just $30 million annually. According to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency‘s 2022 survey, where I worked for over a decade prior to joining VEIC, nearly 90% of US households report recognizing the ENERGY STAR label and almost half (45%) report knowingly purchasing an ENERGY STAR-certified product or home within the last 12 months.

Electrek: How would ending the ENERGY STAR program hurt consumers at a national and regional level?

Rebecca Foster: Efficiency labels and education from ENERGY STAR leads to more affordable energy bills for customers. Ending the program means less clarity and guidance for how to choose the more efficient option, which means higher costs month after month. Households are increasingly opting for more efficient, all-electric clean technologies like cold climate heat pumps for heating/cooling and EVs for their transportation needs. That means efficiency will become even more important for households to maintain lower electricity use. So, losing ENERGY STAR now will really cost Americans more in the short and long term.

Regionally and on a local level, getting rid of ENERGY STAR could disrupt energy efficiency programs run by states, utilities, and third-party administrators that rely on the ENERGY STAR label for rebates. It could also hurt manufacturers, distributors, and contractors who have built their businesses around providing and installing more efficient equipment. Existing lists of qualified products will quickly become out of date as new models and new technology enter the market. We could see programs in different states or run by different entities come up with confusing or competing standards for their rebates, making it more difficult for people to save energy. 

All of these impacts hurt consumers, especially at a time when families and businesses are already struggling to keep up with rising costs. 

Electrek: What sort of impact would ending this program have on the grid?

Rebecca Foster: A stable electric grid is more important than ever as we see growing electricity demand due to data centers and AI and an increasing reliance on electricity to meet more of our daily needs. ENERGY STAR has been the backbone of energy efficiency across the country for decades, and it’s delivered the more efficient lighting, appliances, and heating systems that are in use today in countless homes. Efficiency is a major reason why US electricity demand has been flat for the last two decades, according to the EIA.

As we see the electrification of our transportation and heating sectors, we’re also going to see unprecedented growth in electricity demand – an 11% increase in New England alone over the next decade, according to ISO New England. That’s part of a 50% increase in demand nationally by 2050, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

Losing ENERGY STAR would slow down and complicate management of the grid because efficiency contributes to a stable and optimized grid. It also helps avoid the costly expansion of transmission projects by reducing demand without asking customers to make large behavioral changes. 

A more efficient grid can also avoid investing in new fossil fuel power generation, like natural gas power plants, helping meet state and regional goals for clean energy and emissions reductions. ENERGY STAR is a great tool for realizing an efficient, electrified future. Ending the program will put a greater burden on grid operators and utilities by taking away one of the most effective tools in the toolbox for addressing rising energy demand: customer participation.

Rebecca Foster is VEIC’s CEO. Heading up the executive leadership team, Rebecca guides the nonprofit’s strategic planning, business development, and performance across its contracts nationwide. With nearly 25 years of experience in the clean energy industry, Rebecca is a seasoned leader dedicated to the organization’s mission of generating the energy solutions the world needs.

VEIC is a national clean energy nonprofit that delivers high-impact energy solutions focused on equity and innovation. Since 1986, VEIC has been recognized as a leader in decarbonization strategies, working with governments, utilities, foundations, and businesses to reduce GHG emissions and create a sustainable energy system that benefits everyone.


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Here it is: the first-ever electric Type D school bus from Thomas Built

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Here it is: the first-ever electric Type D school bus from Thomas Built

The school bus experts at Thomas Built have just released the first all-electric, square-bodied Type D school bus in the company’s storied history – and they’ve given their new bus a friendly, pun-tastic name. Kids, meet Wattson!

Properly called the Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson, this latest transit-style Type D bus from North Carolina-based Thomas Built combines a flat front, high seating capacity, and superior driver visibility with clean, quiet, electric power from Cummins Accelera.

“Wattson represents our next step in electrification,” said TJ Reed, president and CEO of Daimler Truck Specialty Vehicles. “(Wattson) reflects our belief that the best electric solutions are the ones that feel familiar, fit within your fleet and are built to last. That’s what we’ve heard from our customers, and that’s what we’re delivering.”

The bus offers 150 miles of estimated range thanks to a huge 246 kWh li-ion battery pack. That battery funnels electrons to the same, ultra-efficient 295 hp 14Xe eAxle with 750 lb-ft of peak tq as the recently-revealed Jouley, offering more than enough “get up and go” to get kids safely across multilane highways and up even the gnarliest rural mountain inclines. And, of course, without the freezing concerns that can stop a diesel fleet cold during extreme temperature drops.

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And, because Wattson is based heavily on Thomas Built’s existing Type D body, schools’ preferred upfitting solutions should bolt right in. “We know electrification can feel like a big step,” continued Reed. “With Wattson, we’re making that step easier by giving districts a familiar Type D solution they already trust – now in electric.”

Wattson is available for order now, with first deliveries scheduled for early 2026. The bus is capable of 120 kW DC fast charging, and is V2G capable.

Electrek’s Take


2026 Saf-T-Liner eHDX2 Wattson; by Thomas Built.

It’s almost universally accepted that school buses are prime candidates for electrification. They tend to operate on short, local routes, in stop-and-go traffic, and in close proximity with some of the most vulnerable populations in the country, in terms of respiratory illness and physical safety (just imagine a kid trying to yell “STOP!” at a bus driver and being heard over the din of noisy kids and a revving diesel). The fact that electric school buses can reduce a district’s operating costs and serve the public as a portable power center in an emergency are just icing on the electric cake.

Here’s hoping all our kids’ schools have a chance to trade in their gross diesel school bus for something like Thomas Built’s Wattson sooner than later.


SOURCE | IMAGES: Thomas Built.


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Bako Motors builds solar-powered tiny electric cars that sip sunshine

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Bako Motors builds solar-powered tiny electric cars that sip sunshine

Electric vehicles are known for plugging in – but one startup wants them to simply soak up the sun instead. Bako Motors is building compact electric cars and cargo vans with solar panels on the roof, letting them charge directly from sunlight and cut their dependence on wall sockets altogether.

It’s not an entirely novel idea. But unlike flashy startups like Aptera, Bako is approaching it with an actually commercially viable solution. And now the company is joining several other African-based EV makers hoping to help the continent leapfrog its way towards more sustainable transportation.

While most EVs still rely on grid charging – often from a fossil-fuel-heavy mix in Africa – Bako’s small vehicles can harvest free energy straight from the sky. According to founder and CEO Boubaker Siala, the roof-mounted solar cells can provide more than half of a vehicle’s daily energy needs. For its commercial model, the B-Van, that translates to about 50 km (31 mi) of solar-assisted driving per day, or roughly 17,000 km (10,500 mi) per year without ever plugging in.

Of course, drivers do still have the option of plugging into an EV charger to top up the battery more quickly, but soaking up extra sun all day may mean that many owners can get away with infrequent grid-charging stops.

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The B-Van can haul up to 400 kg (882 lb) of cargo and offers 100–300 km (62–186 mi) of total range, starting at around US $8,500. Its smaller sibling, the Bee, is a two-seat urban runabout with 70–120 km (44–75 mi) of range and a 44 km/h (27 mph) top speed, priced from US $6,200. A third model, the X-Van, is now on the drawing board with space for two passengers and extra cargo.

More than 40% of Bako’s parts are sourced locally – including the steel for the frame and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries – creating jobs while reducing import costs. A second, larger factory is set to open in 2026, boosting capacity to 8,000 vehicles per year for Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

By combining affordability, local manufacturing, and solar charging, Bako Motors is carving out a niche that fits Africa’s climate and infrastructure realities. In a market where range anxiety and unreliable grids still hold many buyers back, these sun-sipping EVs might just be the independence-promoting solution that drivers need.

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Mining execs embrace ‘phenomenal’ rare earths interest from the Middle East

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Mining execs embrace 'phenomenal' rare earths interest from the Middle East

Guests enjoy the Fortune Global Forum 2025 Gala Dinner on October 26, 2025 at Diriyah Gate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Cedric Ribeiro | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Mining executives have welcomed a sharp upswing in investor interest from the Middle East, as Gulf states seek to expand their critical mineral ambitions and take on established global players.

Critical minerals refer to a subset of materials considered essential to the energy transition. These resources, which tend to have a high risk of supply chain disruption, include metals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements.

“The interest in rare earths in this part of the world is phenomenal,” Tony Sage, CEO of U.S.-listed rare earths miner Critical Metals, said during a business trip through the Middle East.

“I didn’t expect it because, you know, they can’t mine it. There [are] really no discoveries in this area, but they want to be able to participate somehow in the downstream,” Sage told CNBC by telephone.

His comments come as policymakers and business leaders flock to Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, an event nicknamed as the “Davos in the Desert.”

The annual event, which got underway on Monday, is being held under the theme: “The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth.” It is expected this year’s FII will lean into areas such as artificial intelligence, particularly as the oil-rich kingdom continues with its mission to diversify its economy.

A wheel loader takes ore to a crusher at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020.

Steve Marcus | Reuters

Analysts say Gulf states, led by the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are increasingly seeking to leverage their financial capital and geographic location to capture critical minerals market share.

A series of targeted acquisitions and international partnerships forms a key part of this regional strategy, according to an analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), with Gulf states seeking to present themselves as alternative partners to Western nations.

Critical Metals, for its part, has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Obeikan Group to build a large-scale lithium hydroxide processing plant in the kingdom.

A strategic push

Kevin Das, senior technical consultant at New Frontier Minerals, an Australian-based rare earths explorer, linked investor interest in rare earths from the Middle East to exponential growth in the field of AI.

“It’s no surprise that you’re seeing interest, not just in the Western world, but spreading into the Gulf States because I think people are realizing that we’re probably on the cusp of an AI boom,” Das told CNBC by telephone.

“If you start to see the emergence of robotics, every robot is going to need these rare earths. And I think the supply is only going to get tighter,” he added.

Rare earth elements have emerged as a key bargaining chip in the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, although global stocks rallied on Monday amid investor hopes of thawing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

U.S. officials have touted the prospect of China delaying strict rare earth export controls as part of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Rare earths refer to 17 elements on the periodic table whose atomic structure gives them special magnetic properties. These elements are widely used in the automotive, robotics and defense sectors.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a “coffee ceremony” at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Shaun Bunn, managing director at London-listed Empire Metals, said his company had also received considerable investor interest from the Middle East.

“I think that it is very much part of the kingdom’s strategic push to diversify away from its oil. I mean, they are always going to make the most money out of oil at the moment at least, but they are trying to diversify,” Bunn told CNBC by telephone.

Critical mineral ambitions

Analysts have flagged a number of barriers facing the Gulf states’ push for critical minerals, however, noting that regional players remain marginal producers at present.

“Many of Saudi Arabia’s mining ventures remain in early or even conceptual stages, and the country still depends on foreign partners for expertise, such that it may take years for Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states more generally, to scale up enough to dent Chinese dominance or to fully meet Western demand,” Asna Wajid, research analyst at IISS, said in an analysis published in late July.

“Many in the West, moreover, may be wary of replacing their dependence on China with dependence on the Gulf states, which already exercise considerable strategic leverage due to their oil and gas supplies,” Wajid said.

China is the undisputed leader of the critical minerals supply chain, producing roughly 70% of the world’s supply of rare earths and processing almost 90%, which means it is importing these materials from other countries and processing them.

U.S. officials have previously warned that this dominance poses a strategic challenge amid the pivot to more sustainable energy sources.

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