August ’24 at-a-glance … energy

NAFEM and allies continue to advocate for reasonable CRE standards while DOE issues/seeks comments on Notice of Data Availability 

Continuing to advocate for a “no-new-standard” approach to pending energy-conservation standards for commercial refrigeration equipment (CRE), NAFEM met with representatives of the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) in late July. Joining the meeting were representatives from the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA). During the meeting, NAFEM shared its earlier comments to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), explaining why the proposed CRE energy-conservation standards are neither technologically feasible nor economically justified. As a reminder, Advocacy is an independent voice for small businesses within the federal government.  

Meanwhile, DOE issued a pre-publication Notice of Data Availability (NODA) providing updated analytical results the agency is considering using to inform its final rule. The NODA reflects comments to the original Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR). Comments on the NODA will be due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. 

When the proposed final rule is with the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) – the last step before the final rule is issued – NAFEM will request a meeting with OIRA to discuss the industry’s concerns with the proposed standards and their potential negative impact on small businesses. 

Reminder of pending final rules  

Just a reminder that, according to the spring semiannual Unified Agenda, the DOE anticipates issuing final energy-conservation standards as follows:  

• September: Automatic Commercial Ice Maker (ACIM) standards  

• November: Commercial Refrigeration Equipment (CRE) and Walk-in Coolers/Freezers (WIC/F) standards.