WASHINGTON — The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) officially filed a motion for a stay with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals requesting a delay of the May 1 compliance date for regional efficiency standards.

Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) announced it will be filing a response in support of the motion for a stay.

AHRI notes that the upcoming deadline brings significant uncertainty to the entire HVAC industry. HARDI agrees that the motion is necessary because the court has not yet made a decision on the proposed settlement agreement between the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Until the court officially accepts this settlement, the May 1 compliance date still stands and it will then be illegal to install a non-compliant residential gas furnace in the Northern region. To date, DOE has yet to respond to two requests for a delay in the effective date, thus necessitating the motion for a stay asking the court to intervene.