Congress kills commercial refrigerator efficiency rules, raising costs for restaurants and schools

What it does

This resolution disapproves a Department of Energy rule that set new energy-efficiency standards for commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers. The rule is nullified and has no legal effect. Manufacturers of commercial cooling equipment are freed from the new efficiency requirements.

Why we flagged it

This is a Congressional Review Act (CRA) disapproval resolution that uses the fast-track CRA mechanism to nullify a completed DOE rulemaking without amendment or debate. It is functionally a deregulation measure that removes efficiency mandates from an entire product category.

What the text implies

• Eliminates baseline efficiency standards, allowing manufacturers to produce less efficient models without penalty, increasing long-term operating costs for end-users (restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals, schools).
• Increases aggregate U.S. energy consumption and carbon emissions from the commercial refrigeration sector, undermining climate and energy-independence goals.
• Shifts cost burden from manufacturers (who would bear compliance costs) to businesses and institutions operating the equipment (who bear higher electricity bills).
• CRA disapproval is permanent under 5 U.S.C. § 801(b)(2) — the same rule cannot be reissued in substantially the same form without new congressional authorization, creating a high bar for future efficiency standards in this category.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Eliminating energy-efficiency standards increases operating costs for businesses and institutions that use commercial refrigeration (restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals, schools), raises energy consumption and carbon emissions, and shifts the cost burden from manufacturers to end-users and the public through higher energy bills and environmental externalities.

Who stands to gain

• commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturers
• appliance makers (Hussmann, Turbo Air, True Manufacturing, Hoshizaki, Electrolux, etc.)

Named in the bill

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Register (90 Fed. Reg. 7464), Congress (119th)

Where it stands

13 cosponsors: 13 Republicans.

• Mar 10, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 10, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”
• Mar 27, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 214 - 193 (Roll no. 78). (text: 3/26/2024 CR H1284)”
• May 1, 2025 — Passed both chambers · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 45. Record Vote Number: 228.”
• May 6, 2025 — Sent to president · Congress.gov: “Presented to President”
• May 9, 2025 — Signed into law · Congress.gov: “Became Public Law No: 119-9”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

3 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $19,424,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 70 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 61% of bills with at least one filing.

Craig Goldman, the sponsor, reported $682,667 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $17,960,000 on 1 filing
• Food Marketplace Inc — $1,384,000 on 2 filings
• Sierra Club — $80,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.