Member DashboardNAFEM weighs in on proposed DOE Process Rule changes
NAFEM submitted individual comments and joined 12 other organizations in commenting on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) proposed Process Rule Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR). The proposal would reinstate a “significant energy-savings threshold” requiring at least a 10% reduction over 30 years. NAFEM generally supported DOE’s proposal and encouraged continued dialogue with the agency. The coalition also supported DOE’s proposal to largely restore the February and August 2020 versions of the Process Rule.
NAFEM responds to DOE analytical methods review
NAFEM joined 11 other organizations in submitting comments on DOE’s Analytical Methodologies RFI, which seeks input on the methodologies the agency uses to develop energy-conservation standards for covered products and equipment. According to the comments, “DOE’s analytical approach has not kept pace with a changed marketplace, where successive rounds of standards have already captured most readily available energy savings, consumers have far more product information than when the framework was built, and underlying energy economics have shifted substantially.”
Industry proposes path forward on CRE, WIC/F energy standards
NAFEM and the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) are awaiting feedback on the joint recommendations they submitted to the DOE for the next generation of energy standards for commercial refrigeration equipment (CRE) and walk-in coolers and freezers (WIC/F). NAFEM and AHRI look forward to collaborating with DOE on the next iteration of standards.
EPA and DOE provide ENERGY STAR® transition plan
EPA and DOE finalized the transition plan for DOE to assume leadership of the ENERGY STAR program by July 2027. Throughout the transition, www.energystar.gov, the ENERGY STAR Help Desk and Portfolio Manager Help Desk remain available. According to the plan, “Both agencies are committed to minimizing any disruptions to the 1,500 manufacturers, 1,200 retailers, 840 utilities and $100 billion in private markets that depend on ENERGY STAR to save the equivalent of 13% of U.S. electricity use annually.”