ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) today responded to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruling in favor of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on its lawsuit, filed in 2014 with AHRI member company and Midwest manufacturer Zero Zone, which challenged DOE’s 2014 efficiency standard and test procedure rulemakings for commercial refrigeration equipment.

“We are disappointed in the court’s ruling, as well as the court taking nearly a year after oral argument to issue a decision,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “Our members must now comply with the efficiency standard by March 27, 2017.”

AHRI argued that DOE failed to follow its procedures and that its analysis was flawed. AHRI also raised concerns regarding DOE issuing test procedure amendments after amending efficiency standards.

“Issuing a test procedure after efficiency standards is a backwards way of handling rules, and makes it difficult for manufacturers to understand the impact of the new standards and to design equipment to comply with those standards, all while continuing to meet the needs of consumers,” said Yurek.

Yurek noted that this decision provides further incentive for Congress to update the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, an over 40-year-old law that gives DOE its energy efficiency rulemaking authority. AHRI believes reforms are needed to provide stakeholders with an equal voice, greater certainty, and better transparency in the regulatory process.

“We will continue our efforts to work with DOE to ensure that our members are able to comply with these rules while continuing to plan for the future of their businesses, including providing jobs and quality products to millions of people around the country.”

For more information, visit www.ahrinet.org.