Washington, D.C. - On Monday, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia upheld the Department of Energy's decision to remove the ENERGY STAR® label from certain inefficient LG refrigerator-freezer models. As part of its expanded energy efficient enforcement efforts, DOE had taken steps over the past few months to remove the label from these products, which independent testing had shown were consuming significantly more energy than allowed by the ENERGY STAR® program.
"The Court has affirmed our efforts to protect consumers and the environment through robust enforcement of our energy efficiency regulations and the ENERGY STAR® program," said Department of Energy General Counsel Scott Blake Harris. "Enhanced energy efficiency is a national priority, and DOE will continue to take aggressive action to ensure manufacturers deliver the energy and cost savings promised to American consumers."
The Court's Memorandum Opinion denied LG's motion for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed the manufacturer to continue using the ENERGY STAR® label on approximately 40,000 affected LG refrigerator-freezers. Throughout the proceedings, DOE maintained the government's right to enforce the energy efficiency requirements associated with the ENERGY STAR® program. DOE cited the need to protect consumers and the unintended advantage in the marketplace LG gained from testing its products under an exception to the energy use-test procedures used by other manufacturers.
Read the Court's Memorandum Opinion.
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