The Department of Energy (DOE) is delaying the effective date of new energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and freezers. Originally, these standards were set to take effect on March 21, 2025, but now the date is pushed to May 20, 2025, to allow more time for reviewing legal, factual, and policy concerns. This change is in line with a government-wide directive for examining rules more closely, although the final compliance dates remain unchanged: December 23, 2027, for non-display doors, and December 31, 2028, for refrigeration systems. The delay is classified as procedural, so public notice or a hearing were not legally necessary for its implementation.
Simple Explanation
The Energy Department is hitting the pause button on some new rules that would make big coolers and freezers, like the ones in supermarkets, save more energy. They moved the start date from March to May so they can take a closer look at how the rules will work, but everyone still has until the end of 2027 or 2028 to actually make changes.