The court’s order ends the lawsuit and represents a great victory for the industry organizations that were involved in developing the final settlement agreement. 

The court’s actions officially ends the two-plus year legal battle between the DOE and several organizations, including HARDI, AHRI, and ACCA.

The settlement agreement, which now awaits court approval, would vacate the regional furnace efficiency standards and restart the rulemaking process, this time giving stakeholders more opportunities to provide input throughout the rulemaking process. 

The biggest winners in this story are the distributors who continued to fight the DOE even though many — including yours truly — felt they should give up the fight. 

After causing years of uncertainty and economic hardship for the HVAC industry, the regional standards lawsuit appears to finally be resolved.

The settlement agreement, which now awaits court approval, would vacate the regional furnace efficiency standards and also give the industry an 18-month sell-through period to comply with the Jan. 1, 2015, efficiency standards for split-system air conditioners.

While a previous court document identified March 3 as the last day for the expected filing of a settlement in the ongoing regional standards lawsuit, it appears the judicial system may need a few extra days.

Tuesday's motion suspends all court proceedings until March 3 to accommodate pending mediation.

As the regional standards ruling remains entangled in litigation, it is becoming more difficult for the HVAC industry to determine how to move ahead.