Hearing examined the “midnight” regulations that often appear at end of president's term
ARLINGTON, Va. — ACCA vice chair Jerry Bosworth of Galveston, Texas, testified before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology at a Feb. 10 hearing on federal regulations. His testimony focused on recent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) appliance standards for residential furnaces and boilers, central air conditioners, and heat pumps, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules on refrigerants, and the lack of regard for installation practices for HVACR equipment.
Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, called the hearing to examine the issue of “midnight” regulations that often appear during the last few months of a president’s term.
In his statement regarding the proposed 92 percent AFUE furnace standard, Bosworth said: “The rulemaking process is broken and needs changes to ensure that new appliance standards designed to save energy realize those expected savings without adding unnecessary burdens to manufacturers, distributors, and contractors. These standards must also promote choice amongst consumers and provide a positive payback on the investment. A standard that would negatively impact 31 percent of homeowners who purchase a new furnace should not be proposed.”