June ’24 at-a-glance … energy

Members contacting elected officials regarding proposed CRE regulations 

NAFEM’s Advocacy Action Center makes it easy for members to reach out to elected officials about burdensome energy-efficiency regulations for commercial refrigeration equipment (CRE) proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Already, members have sent 65 letters to members of congress asking them to urge DOE to issue a “no-new-standard” to the proposed regulations that are neither economically justified nor technologically feasible. This outreach, and other member efforts, like hosting plant visits, build important relationships that can help the industry effectively advocate for reasonable regulations. 

NAFEM also submitted comments in December to DOE stating that the “industry supports, and will continue to support, energy-efficiency regulations that are tethered to technological and economic reality. DOE’s proposed standards are neither.” The association and members further met with the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) to address concerns with the DOE’s proposal. The Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) also participated in this multi-stakeholder session. 

If approved as currently drafted, the proposed standards would take effect late 2027. 

Reminder of NY product registration requirements 

During the June Advocacy Update webinar, Kate DoVale from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) reminded members that organizations selling, renting, leasing and installing equipment in the state must register regulated products with the State Appliance Standards Database (SASD). Covered products include commercial dishwashers, fryers, hot food holding cabinets, ovens and steam cookers.  

SASD also certifies this same equipment in NJ, RI and MA. More states are expected to join the database in the future. Products certified to ENERGY STAR^® are automatically populated in the SASD. However, manufacturers must create an SASD account to approve product listings.