March 31, 2025 – Last week, lawmakers in the House voted to overturn new efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators used by food processors, distributors, grocery stores, food banks, and restaurants, a move that could significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions from the food system.
Because the standards were finalized by the Department of Energy (DOE) at the end of the Biden administration, Congress has the ability to roll them back through a process called Congressional Review. For that to happen, the Senate would also need to vote on the resolutions. Trump’s DOE already paused the implementation of the standards, along with many other energy efficiency rules that affect home appliances as well.
During a floor debate, Republicans said the standards represent burdensome regulations that will increase costs on businesses. “Cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores would be forced to purchase more expensive, less effective equipment. As we all know, those costs would be passed on to consumers,” said Representative Craig Goldman (R-Texas).
Democrats countered that the standards are common-sense updates to energy efficiency guidelines that will lead to significant savings. They pointed to the fact that two thirds of products on the markets already meet the standards and that the DOE determined increased initial costs, on average, are balanced by energy savings after just three and a half years. Businesses would not be required to update appliances currently in use; the standards only apply to new purchases. “Republicans continue to do the bidding of Big Oil and Gas. This resolution proves that Republicans are completely out of touch,” said Representative Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey).
While the standards float under the radar as technical details, Sarah Gleeson, climate solutions research manager at Project Drawdown, said that when it comes to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration are “extremely important.” Globally, cooling—which includes refrigeration and air conditioning across all sectors—accounts for about 10 percent of emissions. Two thirds of those emissions come from energy use, while the other third stem from the use of refrigerant chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin already announced he’s reconsidering another Biden-era rule that would phase out the use of HFCs over time. Managing leaks of those refrigerants and switching to alternatives both rank high on Project Drawdown’s list of effective climate solutions. (Link to this post.)
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