Lawmaker Moves to Overturn Refrigeration Rule

On December 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a Federal Register final rule pertaining to energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and freezers (WICFs). In this final rule, DOE adopted amended energy conservation standards for walk-ins, as the department determined that the “amended energy conservation standards for these products would result in significant conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified.” The effective date of the rule was February 21, 2025. 

Under the rule, DOE did not amend energy conservation standards for display doors or panels; however, it did adopt maximum daily energy consumption standards for walk-in non-display doors. In addition, the rule adopted higher minimum efficiency standards for walk-in refrigeration systems that are expressed as annual walk-in energy factor 2 (AWEF2). Under the final rule, walk-in non-display doors must comply with the amended standards by December 23, 2027, while walk-in refrigeration systems have until December 31, 2028. 

However, on January 16, 2025, just days before President Trump would take office for the second time, Representative Stephanie Bice from Oklahoma introduced a joint resolution, seeking to nullify the new energy conservation standards for WICFs. In an article for Fox News, Representative Bice said, “The Biden administration has done everything it can to regulate all aspects of our homes and businesses. Walk-in coolers and freezers are used everywhere; from pharmacies, convenience stores, food processing facilities, food banks, restaurants, and more … these rules continue to add unnecessary burdens on everyday Americans and ultimately suppress consumer choice.” 

Whether this resolution will be necessary remains to be seen, as President Trump recently postponed the implementation of HVACR efficiency standards that include WICFs and commercial refrigeration equipment. 

This is the second attempt by Republicans to roll back environmental regulations enacted during the Biden administration. On January 24, 2025, Congressman Neal Dunn from Florida introduced a resolution, directing Congress to nullify a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule relating to the management of HFC refrigerants used in refrigeration systems. According to Dunn, “American grocers and restaurants do not need government regulators in their kitchens and storerooms, driving up operating costs and forcing them to pass that cost on to the consumer.”