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In Memoriam: John S. Hoffman, the ‘Father’ of ENERGY STAR

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Date: Oct 02, 2012

John Hoffman - Energy Star

John S. Hoffman – known to many in the energy world as the “father” of the ENERGY STAR program – passed away on Sept. 24.   He is survived by his wife, Lucinda McConathy, and his daughter, Alla Hoffman. 

The EPA and ENERGY STAR

A Snapshot of John S. Hoffman

Legend has it that ENERGY STAR began 20 years ago after Hoffman conducted an informal walk-through of EPA offices. He wanted to see if employees remembered to turn off their computers when they left their workstations. He was not pleased with what he saw. He figured that if many of his staff members – who were well aware of the link between energy use and greenhouse gas emissions – forgot or found it too inconvenient to shut off their computers, the situation in the general population was far worse. He thought that a technical solution was needed – a way to automatically power down computers when not in use. And thus, a “star” (or at least a twinkle of a star) was born.

This is the lasting and powerful legacy of John S. Hoffman, who cared passionately about implementing innovative approaches to making the world a better place.

Hoffman led a variety of path-breaking efforts during his distinguished career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which he joined in 1978. 

In 1980, Hoffman identified climate change as a substantial environmental risk and became the first person at EPA to begin studying the issue. Across the next 15 years, Hoffman developed a series of innovative voluntary programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most prominent among these was EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, which began in 1992 to label energy-efficient computers and grew to shepherd in a “market transformation” approach to energy efficiency. 

Today, the ENERGY STAR label is on products in more than 60 categories: major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, new homes, commercial buildings, industrial plants, and more. ENERGY STAR – now a joint program of the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy – helps consumers and businesses alike make energy-efficient choices through the program’s partnerships with more than 20,000 organizations. In 2011 alone, ENERGY STAR reduced utility bills by $23 billion and prevented the release of 210 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.  

In addition to creating the ENERGY STAR program, Hoffman’s legacy at EPA includes:

  • The Green Lights program, which promoted investment in energy-efficient lighting;
  • The Natural Gas STAR voluntary partnerships program, which encourages oil and natural gas companies to improve operational efficiency and reduce emissions;
  • Market-based regulatory programs, which are designed to protect the ozone layer; and
  • The Montreal Protocol, a landmark treaty signed by every nation in the world that has phased out the most dangerous ozone-depleting chemicals.

Honored at the Alliance’s 2012 Dinner

At the 20th annual Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner on Oct. 3, the Alliance to Save Energy will pay tribute to Hoffman for his contributions to the energy efficiency field. Hoffman’s brain-child – the ENERGY STAR Program – will be honored for the significant positive impact it has made on reducing energy use and transforming markets for two decades.