The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is applauding the House Energy & Commerce Committee for passage of H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, an energy bill that includes technical corrections to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). AHRI joined other HVAC industry groups supporting the legislation in a letter stating the legislation goes a long way toward modernizing and protecting U.S.
energy infrastructure, while making strong advances in the use of energy-efficient technology.

“AHRI is pleased that the committee is addressing the important issue of energy,” said AHRI president and CEO Stephen Yurek. “We are hopeful that the full House will act quickly on this legislation and that the Senate will follow suit. We are particularly grateful to Reps. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.), John Shimkus (R-Ill.), and Bob Latta (R-Ohio) for their work on the aspects of this bill most important to our member companies.”

Rep. Pompeo added technical corrections to EPCA, which require that U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) product standards be based on a final revised test procedure, ensure stakeholder input on the formation of proposed rules, and make DOE’s technical and economic assumptions—methods and models used to justify a standard—available for public review, analysis, and use.

The corrections also allow for consideration of the cumulative effects of federal regulations. Rep. Shimkus added a technical correction amending regional standard enforcement dates to the date of manufacture. Rep. Latta’s amendment provides an opportunity for AHRI to work with DOE on third-party verification programs, similar to those established and administered by AHRI for more than half a century.