Senator Whitehouse Demands EPA Reverse Plan to Eliminate Climate Programs

EPA plans to shut down key climate programs, including the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and Energy Star, sparking concerns over industry competitiveness, consumer costs, and transparency in emissions data.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• May 13, 2025

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, is demanding that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin halt plans to dismantle landmark federal climate programs, citing newly revealed documents and warning of harm to American industry and consumers.

According to documents obtained exclusively by Democratic staff on the Senate EPW Committee, the EPA is preparing to shut down the Climate Change Division and Climate Protection Partnership Division within the Office of Atmospheric Protection. These divisions oversee the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) and the widely used Energy Star Program, which has saved Americans more than $500 billion and prevented nearly 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over three decades.

“For the past 15 years, the GHGRP has collected facility-level emissions data from over 8,000 facilities, supplying vital information to policymakers, scientists, investors, and the public,” Whitehouse wrote in a letter to Administrator Zeldin. “These data inform our national GHG inventory, support international emissions reporting, and serve as the de facto standard for many companies’ climate disclosures.”

Whitehouse warned that the proposed rollback would remove a competitive edge for U.S. manufacturers. GHGRP data has shown that American facilities are less carbon-intensive than foreign competitors. Eliminating this program, he argued, would strip U.S. companies of data that allows th
em to market themselves as cleaner than global rivals, including those in China.

“[E]limination of the GHGRP would likely harm the very companies supposed to benefit from fewer reporting requirements,” Whitehouse added. “You will rob American industry of data giving [it a] competitive advantage.”

The documents indicate the agency’s justification for dismantling the GHGRP is based on feedback from industry trade associations, citing a desire to reduce regulatory burdens on oil and natural gas producers. Critics, including Whitehouse, argue the move aligns with the interests of fossil fuel companies, which supported former President Donald Trump’s campaign with significant funding and lobbying efforts aimed at environmental rollbacks.

“EPA’s recent actions—including the elimination of the GHGRP—continue the pattern of allowing polluters to dictate environmental policy,” Whitehouse stated. “Dismantling the GHGRP prioritizes polluter interests over the international competitiveness of American steel, aluminum, fertilizer, cement, and chemicals industries.”

Whitehouse has requested a formal response from Administrator Zeldin by May 14, 2025.