On Aug. 4, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and Lennox Intl. Inc. filed a petition asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to review the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) final rule establishing energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and freezers (WICF). The DOE, AHRI said, did not follow proper protocol when developing the rule and issued standards that many in the industry feel are unfair. The petition for court review follows a July 30 petition to DOE for reconsideration of the rule.
“In issuing this final rule on WICF equipment, DOE exceeded its statutory authority and failed to comply with agency rulemaking requirements,” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO, AHRI. “As a result, we have no choice but to challenge the legality of the rule.”