GOP looks to chill federal refrigeration regulations again

For the second consecutive week, the House will take up legislation that would ease federal regulations on refrigeration units.

This week, the House will consider the Enabling Energy Savings Innovations Act, which would give manufacturers of walk-in cooler or walk-in freezer components a break from certain federal rules under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

Under that act, manufacturers must meet certain insulation standards. But under the bill, from Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), manufacturers could be excused from this requirement if they show their coolers and freezers reduce energy consumption "at least as much" as if they met the standards.

Aderholt's bill is coming up under a suspension of House rules, which means it will require a two-thirds majority vote to pass.

Last week, the House approved language from Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) that would ease the regulatory burden on deli-style display cases. Currently, these display cases are treated as refrigerators for energy-efficiency purposes, but Westmoreland said these cases need to be classified differently because they are used differently.

"There's a lot of glass, which makes it harder to keep the energy efficiency at the same level as a reach-in refrigerator," he said in floor debate. "And if you don't want to reach in and grab your popsicle and just come up with a stick, we need to put this in a totally different classification."

Westmoreland's amendment was approved by voice vote, and is part of the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act, H.R. 4480, which the House approved Thursday.

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