The government is updating the Energy Star program and launching a new higher tier of certification called “Superstar,” Marketplace reports. The program currently certifies the top 25% most energy-efficient products in a given category, so the new star might be for the top 5%. Energy Star could certainly use an overhaul; last year the Government Accountability Office found it was able to submit and get certified 15 of 20 phony products, including a gasoline-powered alarm clock.

Energy Star to ‘superstar’ [Marketplace]
Covert Testing Shows the Energy Star Program Certification Process Is Vulnerable to Fraud and Abuse (PDF) [Government Accountability Office]

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